M42

[Paul Haese]

Working on a new image might try for some more data this next week or so, but overall I am pretty happy with this image.

50 minutes in each channel, it could do with some more data though. Some noise high up in the darker parts of the image.

Click here (http://paulhaese.net/M42QSITSA102.html)for image.

Feel free to let me know what you think.

[paulF]

Lovely details and really like the orangy stars :)

Cheers

[BlackWidow]

What a fantastic image. This image allows me to see just how far I have to go in my learning curve. I am in Adelaide and Hope to meet you at ASSA at some stage. I will have questions LOL.

Seeing stars
Mardy

[batema]

It's a cracker of an image Paul. Well done. How did you stop the core blowing out due to the dynamic range of this object??? Did you use masks?

Mark

[jjjnettie]

A real WOW image there Paul.
Fantastic!

[Craig_L]

Fantastic detail and in particular the rich colours in the outer parts of the neb.

[marc4darkskies]

Very nice Paul! A bit dark, and it needs a bit more data, but it has a lot of great detail for the aperture and the colour is appealing.

Suggest you layer in a round of 30 sec exposures to bring out the core without making it look so contrasty. Also not too sure about the deep blue surrounding the core.

Cheers, Marcus

[Paul Haese]

thanks all.

Mark and Marcus I did mask the core with 30 second exposures. Not sure why the core turned out blue. Might reinvestigate this once I have sorted the remaining data. Marcus I toned down the brightness of the mask and this might be what is making it look a little dull.

Mardy you are more than welcome to approach me at the meetings. Being vice president I am approachable on any matter relating to ASSA also. In terms of imaging I will help where I can.:)

[allan gould]

Paul
Another stunner, just so much that is right with the shot that I love it. I also admire your gerosity to others to assist them. Well done and I know you will keep up the excellent work.

[renormalised]

Nice shot, Paul....heaps of detail :)

It could do with some more data to reduce that noise, but unless you deliberately go looking for it, you don't really notice it's there.

Mightn't be technically correct colourwise, but I like that deep blue in the core :):)

[Stevec35]

Nice one Paul. Definitely at the high end of M42 images.

Cheers

Steve

[Paul Haese]

Thanks Allan. I reckon that it is important to give back to the community where possible. Like a responsibility for the future generations that become involved in this wonderful hobby.

Virgs was telling me you are coming to Adelaide this year. Would love to catch up if we can.

Thanks all for the comments and suggestions.

[Craig_L]

Hi Paul,

Is that at F8 or are you using a reducer?

[Paul Haese]

Craig that is with a Tak flattener installed. 800mm not the native 816mm.

[dugnsuz]

It must be good Paul, I'm getting a "Bandwith Exceeded" message when I click your link!
I'll try later...

[Paul Haese]

Start of the month tomorrow, it will be up then. Might have to wait to the afternoon Doug. I am sure that by mid afternoon you will be able to see it. 4th bandwidth in the last two years, might have to get a bigger plan. 5gig a month does not seem to work anymore.

[dugnsuz]

No worries Paul - it'll give me something to look forward to at work!!

[dugnsuz]

Got it now Paul - damn fine image too.
I like the contrast you've achieved in the core - nice to see the detail in there.
Cheers
Doug

[h0ughy]

you have certainly hoovered out the dust lanes, though the trap area looks different? it is a differnt offering of this object.

[strongmanmike]

I love the faint wispyness you have shown, there is some lovely subtle detail in there too. The colours are a nice alternative to the norm (don't know if they are correct and I don't care - they look ok :thumbsup:) the brownish dusty look looks cool. Overall it looks pretty good... except for the trap area, this bit deffinitely looks out of place, too blue and flat, the solid squareish-romboidal cloud around the trap needs to protrude a little more from the imediate surrounds but still look further into the image than the crests of the main wave/wings that flank it - IMO any way :P (I believe this would be more consistent with the real 3D shape of the nebula?)

This is a crop isn't it Paul? I assume to keep those pesky halos outa tha picture?

Top shot really :thumbsup:

Mike

[gregbradley]

A striking image Paul. A lot of detail there for 102mm aperture and around 3 hours exposure.

Colourwise it looks like it has too much green in there affecting the yellow of the stars plus the dust areas look a tad greenish hue. The reddish/magenta/slightly bluish hues are inhibited as a result. The blue core perhaps is not what it is usually shown to be (hard to comment on that because the others may be wrong!!). So the look of the colour balance is holding the impact of the image back from being even more impactful.

Hey, nice round stars - the PME eh?

I find colour balance one of the harder aspects of image processing and often the most subjective. After all these colours are not what we see when we view them with our scopes.

Some use G2V callibration (sun like stars identified in the image should be represented as white) to help with that. You can download lists of G2v stars from the Sky site. I have not done that myself but should as a test to see if it helps.

Greg.

[Paul Haese]

Thanks all for the comments.


Yeah the trap got a little off track there. I am not sure why it turned blue really. I will have to go over it again to see where it changed. I might try some contrast enhancement for this particular area to make it more 3D as in what we see in scopes.

Certainly a crop. I don't have a square sensor yet. Not really to keep the aweful blue spikey halos you saw earlier, more just to highlight this area really.

thanks for the constructive comments.




Not sure about the green you are seeing Greg; I have spent a fair bit of time analysing the total colour on this image but it could bare looking again.

Agreed on the blue core. It could undergo another look for sure. for the record I am not sure it looks right. Hubble has produced a green looking core and most from Earth produce a magneta looking core.

Not really happy with the stars on this one though. I had to put the heavy water pipes on for the cooling. This needs some work, but generally the PME produces very tight stars.

Agreed, the colours we end up with a often very personally based. I have come to think that nebulosity should have some element of browns in it. Particularly in this area. I did not force the colour though on the outer parts of the nebula though, these just happened in the processing so I figure it is mostly natural. Opinion of course can vary.

Thanks for you comments. Appreciated.

Houghy, yes like I said the core needs looking at. Glad you like the outer nebulosity.

[RobF]

Wowser, what a striking image, and seems to be causing a suitable amount of discussion which is always good too!

[Paul Haese]

Took care of some of the concerns guys.

Click here (http://paulhaese.net/M42QSITSA102.html)for the image.

Now I am really happy with it. Less blue in the core and some more refining of the noise. I think it works now.

[Octane]

Tremendous detail and image scale, Paul. Very impressive.

Jealous of your PME foo!

H

[alexch]

Great image, Paul! Love the second version, the whisps and colours are just brilliant.

Cheers,
Alex

[h0ughy]

a lot better Paul - looks more blended ;)

[Paul Haese]

Thanks guys, it still has some blue in the core but I cannot seem to shake this. Overall I am pretty happy with this version although the stars are mis-shapen due to stacking errors and there is still some stubborn noise. I may try to obtain some more data on this during Friday night, but it might take a lot more to remove it and I have to ask myself whether I want to go to all that effort.

I thank you all for the comments and suggestions.

[Leonardo70]

Paul outstanding .... congrats.
What a colors !!!!

Ciao,
Leo

[atalas]

Paul,lots of detail.....nice!

[Hagar]

Very nice Paul, The Tak certainly does a nice job of the stars and dust. Not a lot of background noise either. Colours are quite subtle and seem to resemble what can be seen through a verybig scope nicely.