Mother of all clusters - now with 27yr comparison

[strongmanmike]

While I wait for the weather to clear :rolleyes:

This is another AG12 and Starfire combo image

Omega the Great (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/139772073/original)

Two Omega Centauri's (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/139882135/original) taken 27 years apart - same photographer with technological improvements :thumbsup:

Mike

[Octane]

Senfriggensational.

H

[ballaratdragons]

Holy smokin' Globs! Mike!!

You can almost count every star right to the core :eyepop:

Nice work mate :thumbsup: Stunning!

[Osirisra]

Impressive! nice work.

[Stevec35]

One of the best images of Omega I've ever seen Mike. Congratulations!

Steve

[SkyViking]

That is excellent Mike, very impressive! I like how you have brought out the contrasting colours of both the bright red giants and the blue stragglers. It's a very beautiful image, thanks for the view.

[multiweb]

Great star colors and resolution. A benchmark. :thumbsup:

[avandonk]

I upsized your image by a factor of four (x2x2 cubic int) Mike. All I can say is WOW! The resolution of your original image would be superb. Could you put up a crop from the centre to the outskirts of OC at full resolution.

For a fast system the resolution is stunning!

Sorry just saw you had?

Bert

[atalas]

Awesome big guy!

[strongmanmike]

Hey thanks so much everyone :thumbsup:

It is always a challenge to present globs faithfully, bit like galaxies really, they should generally be much brighter in the core but the temptation is to go for high res in there and as a result the overall dynamics don't look real, not that it is a bad thing as resolution may be the thing you are really after of course. Here though I tried to showcase this mighty cluster in a way that had some resolution in the core but given the almost infinite number of stars in there it needs to also have a glow and not be sharply resolved to look real in my opinion...:question:

I also tried to get the more bronze/gold colour in the red giants rather than sturated yellow and tried to keep the blue straglers subtle.

Anyway, just another madness prevention exercise :P

Mike

[Dennis]

Holey moley Mike – that is a gorgeous image. I like the way you have balanced all the various elements to help retain a very natural and pleasing look.:thumbsup:

Cheers

Dennis

[DavidTrap]

Great image as usual Mike - the core is impressive. I can see what you're meaning here - I presume this is because I'm used to seeing the core blown out with a loss of detail. The "glow" around the centre took me a little getting used to.

Are you able to divulge how you've maintained the detail - is this a composite of varying length exposures or some fancy curve manipulation? I took a few subs of 47Tuc on the weekend - you've inspired me to process those now, so any tips would be greatly appreciated. :help::thanx:

Ta

DT

[Ric]

WOW :eyepop:

What a beauty.

Top stuff Mike. :thumbsup::thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Hey cheers guys, glad you like it :)

David, it is similar to the multi layered decon technique many use for detail extraction ie basically careful use of DDP and high pass in Astroart5, shadow highlights and curves in PS and careful blending of several slight variations. With Omega one needs to be mindfull that it isn't symetrically round and in-attention to this will result in an unantural appearence. 47 Tuc is much more symetrical so a little more forgiving.

The AG12 data was seeing affected actually which would usually be a negative thing but here it actually helped acheive the overall look I was after actually - funny how things can go in processing...really is like cooking sometimes, bit of this, taste, bit of that, taste...voila :thumbsup:

Mike

[Saturn%5]

:eyepop:

[allan gould]

Mike, there is something wrong with your darks as all I see is specks everywhere. It looks like a large field of coloured salt on black velvet. You need to correct this!
I think that a globular is the hardest thing to process and you have done this beautifully. Its a masterpiece pure and simple.

[h0ughy]

:jawdrop::stargaze::bowdown: :bowdown:

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Grahame, I take it you founmd it pleasing then :P



Hmmm, yes, I think Fred should do a Sidonio on it and remove the stars... :P

Cheers mate

Mike

[strongmanmike]

So.. is that kinda like a Mark Holden Touchdown ala Australian Idol :question:...or are you Islamic

[mill]

That is one great looking Omega Mike :eyepop:
The biggest problem with Omega is getting all the smallest stars not to look like noise and you pretty much nailed that :thumbsup:

[h0ughy]

:thumbsup::cool:

[richardo]

Oh, that's a bit blue isn't it..... thought space was black ?????
Ahhhhhhh, just messing with you Migel:lol:

Love the star colours and wild res to the core......
What a team, the starfire and AGie... can't beat that!!

Truly a lovely job!

Hope your weather improves....

All the best
Rich

[strongmanmike]

Blue And Green Live Together In Perfect Harmony
Side By Side On our Keyboards, Oh Lord, Why Don't We?
We All Know That colours Are The Same What Ever We use
There Is Green And Blue In Ev'ryone,
We Learn To Live, We Learn To Give
Each Other What We Need To Survive blue and green Together Alive.

:P

Thanks Richi

[Ross G]

One of the most amazing photos Of Omega Cent. I have ever seen Mike.

Ross.

[Leonardo70]

:eyepop:

Ciao,
Leo

[RobF]

Just amazing. Encore!

[Robh]

Mike,

Absolutely amazing!
So many stars I was looking for my sunnies.

Regards, Rob

[alan meehan]

Gosh Mike what a beautiful image ,what a good combo those scopes make .
AL

[strongmanmike]

Gee, cheers heaps men :thumbsup:

[AG Hybrid]

That is astonishing. Apart from some NASA/ESO pics that's probably the best image I've ever seen of Omega C!

[John Hothersall]

Well thats what you get with those big chips + an AG12 a truely amazing sight.

John.

[strongmanmike]

Gee thanks Adrian, so glad you think so :)



Cheers John, be nice to get some new data with the AG12 though :rolleyes:... nothing since 29 July :mad2:

Mike

[DJDD]

i just had a look at a few APOD images of Omega Centauri.
this beats them hands down.

[Lester]

Amazing view Mike, thanks. All the best.

[strongmanmike]

Yeh? wow, didn't think to look there actually :)

Mike

[DavidU]

Extraordinary Mike. The way you have handled the colours is spiftacular.
:thumbsup:

[FlashDrive]

Notwithstanding other photo's members have taken ...this would have to be the " Best " shot of Omega Centauri that I've ever seen
Look at the resolution on this ... just outstanding.

Well done Mike ... :thumbsup:

Flash :hi:

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Colin and Dave...sheesh who would'a thought you could image such an over imaged object and please so many people :)..I feel pretty good about that :thumbsup:

Mike

[Enrique]

:eyepop:This is now my yardstick for globular clusters:D

[astronobob]

Outstanding work Mike, , actually a few better, let me say Heart melting, when the resolution is this good, you realize the actual awesome cosmic enviroment & scale with in its deep center ?
Magnificent ! ! !

[sjastro]

I agree.

Now go image something more challenging. ;)

I'm having a go at the "recently" discovered (1999) Cetus Dwarf Galaxy, which in theory should be beyond the range of amateur imaging.

Steven

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Enrique and Bob, yes it's magnificence is almost overwhelming, nuttin to do with me either, I just imaged it :thumbsup:

Mike

[strongmanmike]

I will if this weather ever clears :rolleyes:

I have imaged my fair share of challenging targets by the way, or presented formerly familar tagets in a new more revealing light...and this, is probably even harder to do ;)

Mike

[kinetic]

Master class.:thumbsup:

I'm in awe of your work big guy.

Steve

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Steve...you do some cool stuff yourself :thumbsup:

Mike

[sjastro]

No arguments there Mike from an imaging perspective.

The harder part however is developing processing procedures that allow objects that are magnitudes fainter than naturally occurring skyglow to become viable targets using amateur equipment.

Regards

Steven

[strongmanmike]

I know what you mean, and I (we) enjoy your endeavours :thumbsup:

Omega is just so bewdiful :love:

Mike

[dvj]

:eyepop::eyepop::eyepop::eyepop::ey epop::eyepop::eyepop::eyepop::eyepo p:

[strongmanmike]

A row of :eyepop:'s from the great John Gleason ...priceless :thumbsup:

Mike

[Tom Davis]

Stunning!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

-Tom

[strongmanmike]

Hmm Tom Davis is not easily stunned....:question:...particularl y considering there is no dust visible, usually takes a lot of tranqiliser :P

Cheers Tommy

Mike

[gregbradley]

You've always had a standard setting Omega and this one raises the bar from the beauties you've had in the past.

Good one Mike.

Greg.

[strongmanmike]

So far I have no problem raising my bar :whistle:...age may catch up with me though :question: :eyepop: :lol:

Thanks mate, appreciate the comment :thumbsup:

Mike

[strongmanmike]

Thought comparing my very first image of Omega Centauri taken back in 1984 with what was state of the art amateur equipment then... to now:

Two Omega Centauri's (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/139882135/original) taken 27 years apart - same photographer with technological improvements :thumbsup:

Mike

[leon]

I had a quick look at this while traveling and did not get time to comment.

Mike that is just sensational stuff, :eyepop: in all my days i have never seen such resolution, one could just about pick out each individual star.

Even in any mag has a image come close to this one of yours, ;) definitely one for the pool room.:thumbsup:

All i can say is stunning.:thumbsup:

Leon :thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Well Leon, all I can say is...welcome back! :hi:

Cheers mate, nice comments :)

Mike

[SkyViking]

Love the comparison Mike, one would have to agree there is a slight improvement! :D Then imagine 27 years from now...!

[RobF]

I hope you've counted 'em MIke, to make sure there's no new ones :P

I love it when you do these comparisons. What a fantastic time to be an amateur astronomer :)

[atalas]

You've slackened off in the last 3 decades ...that old one rocks!

[strongmanmike]

I agree Rolf

Yes, the mind boggles, I am guessing some sort of true adaptive optics and more sensitive finer pixels with wire-less connection as standard..?



He he cheers Rob, they are fun for sure, I love before and after shots and reminiscing :)



Well actually it wasn't too bad for its time Louie, particularly considering I was only 16 years old :)

[allan gould]

Mike
The reason so many people have commented on your shot is because it simply captures what each of us feels when we see Omega through a scope for the first time or after going back to it after a long delay. It may be oft imaged but yours truly captures for me what I feel at the eyepiece.
That's why a truly great shot captures your attention and holds it. Yours is the first representation that does it in spades and what we are all trying to do.

[Martin Pugh]

Very nice Mike, and resolved extremely well down to the core.

cheers
Martin

[strongmanmike]

Wow, what a lovely comment Allan, comments like that mean so much more than "nice image" :thumbsup:

I know what you mean and there have been quite a number of images posted on here and elsewhere that fit your description, it's really cool when an image has that effect on people :)

Mike

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Martin

[Derek Klepp]

Thanks for the comparison Mike .Glad you kept at it.

[strongmanmike]

He he, yeh, been a few years now... ;)

Mike

[marco]

Fantastic shot Mike, I agree, one of the best Omega images out there, very inspiring. Your great collection of images has a new gem :)

Marco

[LightningNZ]

Incredible photo Mike! Masterful as usual.

Could I ask as to what each scope brought to this image? The AG12 looks like an amazing scope, as is the Starfire. What aspect did each contribute to the final image?

Thanks,
Cam

[strongmanmike]

Gee thanks Marco, that's a nice thing to say, glad you think so :) there are some beauties out there though.

Mike

[jenchris]

Think I'm going to go outside - I may be some time......