The Pavo Galaxy

strongmanmike (Michael) · #1 12-08-2010, 03:13 AM

Here is the second image from last Friday.

A total of 11 hrs for the LRGB shot and 4.5hrs for the deep negative.

Please click on the image that opens at the link below and you can have a swim around the full size 100% res image looking at hundreds of background galaxies and take a look at the deep 1.6deg X 1.6deg negative frame version too.

NGC 6744

Mike

Octane (Humayun) · #2 12-08-2010, 03:22 AM

Oh, my goodness.

That is one of the best galaxy images I've ever seen. Fantastic colour and incredible detail. Can't believe the amount of background fuzzies! The one at the 7:30 PM position is beautiful.

Well done, Mike!

H

luigi · #3 12-08-2010, 04:03 AM

Fantastic!
I', speechless so my comment might not be very constructive!

ptc (Richard) · #4 12-08-2010, 04:09 AM

i like it mike!

Stevec35 (Steve) · #5 12-08-2010, 07:10 AM

Very nice as usual Mike. Certainly a great NGC 6744. The only minor thing I would say is that there is a fair bit of colour noise in the background (predominantly red) which you could probably minimize to make the shot even better.

Cheers

Steve

multiweb (Marc) · #6 12-08-2010, 09:00 AM

Top shot Mike. Beautiful details and colors. A lot to peek around that field.

gregbradley · #7 12-08-2010, 09:21 AM

A superb image Mike of the queen of the southern galaxies. Its my favourite galaxy.
I like the colour balance you got with this galaxy which I think is a bit hard to achieve. My initial thought of the background though was it looked a bit brownish rather than your usual neutral grey. It may be hard to adjust and maintain the excellent colour balance of the galaxy though.

Did you take any Ha of it? You seemed to catch some of the Ha areas anyway. It does image quite well in Ha and enhances the core and Ha areas.

I'm amazed you get round stars like that, yet you setup each time newly and polar align. You have that procedure down pat.
Perhaps I gave up on using polar alignment scopes for our dim southern pole area too easily.

Greg.

DavidU (Dave) · #8 12-08-2010, 09:56 AM

That's a superb work Mike.
I can't fault it.

Except for all those nasty stars even Fred will like it.

Paul Haese · #9 12-08-2010, 10:10 AM

Lovely image Mike. Background colour is just ever so slightly magneta but overall the image is very nice. Have you done something to reduce the star sizes? I just find that the multitude of stars here is a tiny bit distracting.

Personally I would be very happy with this image and I am sure you are of a like mind. Certainly a Malin Candidate next year.

BTW this is just another advertisement for the stability of Tak mounts. Perfect stars.

renormalised (Carl) · #10 12-08-2010, 10:55 AM

Great shot, Mike. The detail in the spiral arms is excellent

wasyoungonce (Brendan) · #11 12-08-2010, 10:58 AM

Stunning!

I'm just counting the background fuzzies...24 and rising!

strongmanmike (Michael) · #12 12-08-2010, 12:15 PM

Hey great that you all like it

, t'was a bit of work in it, combining two data sets then getting the dynamic range, depth and colour balance acceptable.

There is a lot of super faint Milky Way cirrus dust in the field but I have suppressed it just a little in the final narrower field LRGB as it was maskerading as gradients a little too much so I turned it down. The general patchy softness in the colour version is the cirrus, more noticably on the 16803 chip full frame negative version

As for the background...yes well, the problem'o here is that I push the data to its limits and the residule colour noise is a balancing act. Most methods I know of to reduce it will affect the tiny faint fuzzies too. In the full frame full res version the effect is not that noticable on my computer at home or at work but on my bosses screen it is more noticable, in the smaller version it is basically invisible on all three screens

...so I am running that close to the adge - Astroimager and noise thrill seeker!

Thanks again guys appreciate the feedback.

Mike

strongmanmike (Michael) · #13 12-08-2010, 12:28 PM

A

Quote:

superb image Mike of the queen of the southern galaxies. Its my favourite galaxy.I like the colour balance you got with this galaxy which I think is a bit hard to achieve. My initial thought of the background though was it looked a bit brownish rather than your usual neutral grey. It may be hard to adjust and maintain the excellent colour balance of the galaxy though.

Firstly thanks Greg, glad you like it.

You have it in one, it was about compromise for me, I really wanted the galaxy to look delicate and pretty but still vibrant because I think that is the look that suits this particular girl. The background was a slight compromise but in the end I didn't think it a huge issue and so far have run it as is....never to late to do a Sidonio of course

Quote:

Did you take any Ha of it? You seemed to catch some of the Ha areas anyway. It does image quite well in Ha and enhances the core and Ha areas.

No, no Ha, I am considering collecting some next time...we'll see.

Quote:

I'm amazed you get round stars like that, yet you setup each time newly and polar align. You have that procedure down pat.
Perhaps I gave up on using polar alignment scopes for our dim southern pole area too easily.

Greg.

Yeh, but you know the excellence of the NJP don't you...? man the autoguiding, even piggybacked and imaging at 1300mm FL is sensational even in pretty poor conditions, it is like a patriot missile at times

Quote:

Have you done something to reduce the star sizes? I just find that the multitude of stars here is a tiny bit distracting.

Cheers Paulie

only DDP sharpening on the initial median combined stack. As for the stars, well, I didn't put'em all there...FRED!

Quote:

Personally I would be very happy with this image and I am sure you are of a like mind. Certainly a Malin Candidate next year.

Dunno about that, maybe my uncalibrated screen is hiding the colour noise but his will accentuate it

.....

Quote:

BTW this is just another advertisement for the stability of Tak mounts. Perfect stars.

I can't fault the NJP in this regard, consistent sub arc sec autoguiding, even in tough conditions, is worth millions

TheAstroGuy (Shane Ross) · #14 12-08-2010, 12:34 PM

NOW THAT IS A GREAT GALAXY SHOT

I love the little spiral at 7:30 too, it s a real winner this shot, lovely colours, pinpoint stars and great detail in the arms of the spiral itself.

Nice work

Regards

Shane

Scorpius51 (John) · #15 12-08-2010, 01:02 PM

Awesome! Love galaxies!

Nice work Mike.

John

jase (Jason) · #16 12-08-2010, 03:30 PM

A very visually pleasing image Mike. I like the structure you've obtained in the spiral arms, but I don't like the background noise level as others have highlighted. There is a difference between galactic cirrus / integrated flux and colour noise blotches. Even subtly desaturating the background (as opposed to a full-blown colour noise reduction algorithm) would see a marked improvement to this scene.

strongmanmike (Michael) · #17 12-08-2010, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jase

A very visually pleasing image Mike. I like the structure you've obtained in the spiral arms, but I don't like the background noise level as others have highlighted. There is a difference between galactic cirrus / integrated flux and colour noise blotches. Even subtly desaturating the background (as opposed to a full-blown colour noise reduction algorithm) would see a marked improvement to this scene.

Cheers Jase, I basically agree with your assesment but when I did the background desaturation tweek it just didn't look right

, as I said I kind of run around the edge of perfection really, I have a hang up with losing faint galaxies + my eyes tell me things

..I was processing this at 2am+ this morning = darkened room bright screen etc ...actually it is remarkable that it isn't a piece of crap really

. I am at work at the moment and it looks fine on this screen in a fluro lit room, background blotches need very close scrutiny to make out and a casual glance misses them all together... but I'll have a play with the background at some stage

Mike

richardo (Rich) · #18 12-08-2010, 04:20 PM

Ah yes, one of my favourite galaxies too!
Subtle colours, wispy arms, and quite a few surrounding galaxies to keep one looking.
It certainly is an interesting one to get a good colour balance in the galaxy, especially if you have to fight gradients which tend to throw balance out the window after it's sorted.
You did a good job with it!
And as already mentioned, the speckled background.... but you're on to it.

I've had my lum on this one sitting waiting for a clear night since last week to get some colour, but the weather has other ideas at the mo.

Look forward to your sid.... think this will finish it off nicely!

All the best
Rich

Bassnut (Fred) · #19 12-08-2010, 05:04 PM

Again, a huge range of star colours, you capture star colour quite well I must say, an ABG cam helps there. I dont think desaturating backgrounds on yr images would work well, given you like a fairly hi level and slight colour bias (which is OK BTW, seems to always look good). Lots of background galaxies there, shows carefull (not overdone) processing and hi res.

Despite the noise, its a natural looking pic (not zoom friendly tho), well done.

strongmanmike (Michael) · #20 12-08-2010, 05:41 PM

Cheers John, shane and Rich

Ok ok sigh...I have done a Sidonio

..back ground desaturated a bit ...not totally convinced it was that necessary

but I am a victum of peer pressure

Fred, you are an idiot (term of endearment

) read the original post properly ya git and you will see that if you click on the image that opens you will be able to access a full size full res image

..err I am

at the mo...

Mike