hi everyone,
This image was done with my 12" GSO newtonian and my old Canon 300D DSLR modified with a clear class window over the sensor. No "Advanced" Telescope supplies and no "Advanced" User here, just me.... :-)
This image is taking a look near the centre of the Eta Carina nebula and shows many interesting objects. The image is only a 75-minute long exposure set to a low ISO-200 and auto processed with ImagesPlus and then a little brightening in Photoshop. The image is only a centre crop of the entire image. But we are seeing what the camera saw at prime-focus of the el-cheapo 12" scope from GSO.
I see many interesting objects in this image some of which I have arrowed in the accompanying pic. From arrows left to right;
a . they look like dark Bok/Thackeray globules. Also notice how red the nebula appears on this side of the image compared to the colour of the nebula on the other side of the image. It appears to me the bluish cast of nebula might be from those hot bright white-blue stars reflecting some of their light off the nebula (so they reflect blue light). Perhaps that's why the nebula looks a little pinkish ? In the old film days this area only appeared as red.
b. I've noticed this many times before in past images. This star appears to be shining a "beam of light" in a Northly and Southly direction. Can you guys/gals see what I am talking about ? I've never found any mention of it anywhere.
c. see how there appears to be a "arc of nebula" just North-East, must be due to radiation winds from that nearby star (at lower left of it) ?
d. Wow this nebula edge looks like the East coast of Australia, it's the same type of finger-like nebula activity seen in the centre of the Eagle Nebula.
finally look at how black the centre of the Eta Carina nebula appears at top-right of the image. hmmm. kewl.
I'm pretty happy with this look at the centre of Eta Carina Nebula sorry if the colours are not right (but who cares? what the picture reveals to me is far more important than whether it is the "right" shade of colour). Anyhow, interstellar redening, our atmosphere, and our eye's response to spectral colours change the original colours to the perceived colours that land here on Earth.
More image specs and better look at the image here
http://www.skylab.com.au/pmsa/ngc3372g2.html
happy astronomy
Paul