Some less often imaged objects and some familair friends

seeker372011 (Narayan) · #1 18-03-2007, 10:27 PM

very cleverly-(in retrospect now that I know that the weekend was going to be not just cloudy but positively wet )-I took a day off mid week-ostensibly to get the car serviced and do some work around the house but of course really so I could stay up most of Wednesday night

I got some imaging done after a long while.

Scope ED 80, camera modded canon 300D, mount CG5 autoguided-300 second subs at ISO 200-various total exposures for each of the objects.

I am still struggling with the field curvature issue -I can't put off purchasing a field flattener/focal reducer for long but in the interim I have to do the best I can with what I have, so I am well aware of the ugly coma at the corners. But in the meantime...

Firstly a couple of objects that are on the Caldwell list but rarely imaged

-NGC 3766- a delightful open cluster-came upon it by chance when I was looking for the (ho hum) lambda centaurus nebula. If it were located anywhere else in the sky surely this object would be better known, but guess with the jewel Box and eta Carina and so on round the corner so so to speak it doesnt get much of a chance. (Caldwell 108 for anyone who likes the Caldwell list- as an aside, on another forum I once got shot down in flames for referring to an object by its Caldwell number(in addition to its common name I hasten to add)-Americans in particular seem to hate Patrick Moore for his temerity in putting his middle name to an observing list

)

-Secondly NGC 4372. Here I was really after the Dark Doodad-the extremely well defined dark cloud just south of this fairly faint globular cluster.

I actually imaged this last weekend so there was moon about which interfered
with my image , and my camera didnt have a field of view large enough to capture the entire extant of the dark doodad. BTW I seem to remember the name the dark doodad was bestowed by Dennis di Cicco so it doesn't seem that this has been the subject of much scholarly consideration. Never mind I like the moniker. And I think it would be great target for one anyonewith a decent lens for your DSLR

The next two images are your usual run of the mill objects

Eta Carina and the Horsehead

all shot from my backyard in light pollluted Winstom Hills.

For larger images visit my flickr album at :

NGC 3766

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne...4987405&size=o

The dark doodad and NGC 4372

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne...4987404&size=l

Eta Carina
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne...4987396&size=l

Horsehead

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne...3932748&size=o

comments, suggestions welcome thanks for looking

RB (Andrew) · #2 18-03-2007, 11:34 PM

They are fantastic Narayan !!!
Well done.

I like all of them but Eta's my favourite.
You've done very well, did you process those using IRIS ?

strongmanmike (Michael) · #3 19-03-2007, 12:07 AM

Like your thinking regarding days off and imaging Narayan

I see what you mean about the coma but it isn't that distracting for me really. The lens on this scope was never designed to work over a chip the size of the 300D. I didn't think a FF was available for the 80ED's.? Otherwise they are very nice images with good colour processing. The pink/red in Eta may be a little saturated for my taste but is still a rather pleasing rendition of this southern favourite.

My favourite is the NGC 3766 cluster. I like open star fields with clusters appearing superimposed over the top. Here is an image I took of NGC 3766 in close up, a couple of years ago with the 12" SCT

http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike20...55286575/large

Mike

iceman (Mike) · #4 19-03-2007, 06:02 AM

Well done Narayan, they're great! I love the HH.

h0ughy (David) · #5 19-03-2007, 07:32 AM

fantastic result! I love the dark doodad!

Garyh · #6 19-03-2007, 09:37 AM

I like that dark doodad thingy as well..

Ric · #7 19-03-2007, 11:48 AM

Great imaging Narayan, the horsey is a beauty

Cheers

seeker372011 (Narayan) · #8 19-03-2007, 12:38 PM

Thanks folks fot the nice comments.

Andrew I use IRIS exclusively-I think it rocks. Especially with Jim Solomon's v2
work flow. Just be careful with the asinh stretch , keep intensity low or else there is clipping in the high lights

Mike (strongman), I have seen the results Jim Solomon has been getting with a 0.8 Willioam Optice Focal reducer and it seems to work so I think I am going there. Love your image of 3766..I think this cluster ranks up there with the Jewel Box myself! See your point about the saturation-always hard to know when to stop

I 'd really like to see a camera /lens shot widefield of the dark doodad..think it will be spectacular-hint hint nudge nudge Houghy and Mike (iceman)?
Narayan