A test image while I wait

[strongmanmike]

While waiting for my main subject for the evening to rise last night...I thought aaah what tha heck have't imaged her sice March 08 so I'll rattle off a few quick subs to check the field of view with the new big PL16803 chip...the seeing was boarderline crappola (I have seen worse though) and it was a little low early in the evening but I am so happy with the resulting field that I have decided to go the whole hog and make her into a full narrowband image....next session :thumbsup:

The field is 1.6deg X 1.6deg so juuust about fits her all in.

Eta Carina small 38% full size (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/132812650/original)

Eta Carina large 62% full size (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/132812665/original)

Mike

[Octane]

Truly stellar. Love it!

H(-alpha)

[h0ughy]

man that chip/scope combo is nice -sooo when do you plan on getting the rest of the data - this weeks out? Perhaps at SPSP?

[strongmanmike]

Yeh ya know what?...if the weather reports look favourable on the Wednsday before I might just make the decission and bring the AP/FLI rig this year :thumbsup:. I would rather have brought the 12" Astrograph but assuming it is actually here by then I am sure to not have had enough time testing it and the last thing I would want to do would be to try shaking down a whole new (and potentially fiddly) outfit at SPSP :eyepop:

So I'll get the rest of the data asap as I recon that field should look pretty speccy in Ken Done colours :P

MIke

[renormalised]

Nice shot, Mike:)

The Ken Done colour palette should really top it all off :):P

[allan gould]

Mike
There is just so much detail that your scope and camera have captured. Very very impressive. I'd love to see what your 12" astrograph can produce when it arrives.
Allan

[strongmanmike]

Thanks Al, it's not as sharp as it could be as the seeing wasn't very good at all but I guess not bad for a quicky :) my previous effort from 3 years ago trumps it in detail just slightly but the field of view of this camera really suits the nebula better I think?

The astrograph really has big shoes to fill, it has twice the aperture and 4X the photographic speed but the AP Starfire seems to be in a special league of its own plus given the AG12 is actually 160mm shorter FL, I wouldn't be surprised if the resolution difference is underwhelming actually. Having said that the brighter images and speed should blow me away and the FOV will be bigger still (1.8deg X1.8deg). Needless to say I have a couple of Ultra Deep Cen A type images on my radar which, at least theoretically, should be attainable in a single winters night...potentially some exciting times ahead buuuut I aint counting my chickens just yet....

Mike

[tlgerdes]

:poke:So is this one you think will bring home the silverware from the SPSP?

:fight:

[gregbradley]

A glorious image. So sharp and so full of detail.

Eta may be imaged a lot (its our NGC7000!) but it is an impressive
part of the sky.

Greg.

[DavidTrap]

It's almost criminal to produce that with a quickie - you certainly have the recipe worked out with that rig...

DT

[multiweb]

Yeah... :rolleyes: Bloody quickies... :bowdown:

[starfinder]

Hi Mike. Well done. A truly stunning image and very worthy of more time. It's hard to add further commendations as I agree with all the comments already made. We are very lucky to have objects such as these gracing our skies. Looking forward to seeing Mk II.

Russ

[strongmanmike]

Thanks guys.

It "looks" better than it really is IMO, due the prevailing seeing at the time and under close inspection the resolution is not as good as I obtained back in early 08 (that produced this image (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/132090922/original) from that data) but the larger field of view of teh 16803 now allows the bits of the nebula in the frame that are the most impactful visually, plus I think this neb suits a square frame beautifully.

Cheers again :)

Mike

[Tom Davis]

Great shot, Mike! It should be a real winner with the other channels too!

-Tom