4.310 billion pixel Orion Image -my most ambitious project to date

[gregbradley]

I took this mosaic in late Dec/early Jan during the Christmas break.
It was at my dark site in Bigga NSW. I got 11 out of 12 nights clear weather with excellent seeing whilst Sydney was cloudy.

This is a 4.3 billion pixel image.

It is HaLRGB of 4.5 hours per panel (I rejected probably another 5 or 6 hours worth). 10 minute subexposures using the FLI Proline 16803 camera (16.77 mp, 4096 x 4096 pixels). Plus AP140 Horsehead, TEC180 M42, TEC180 M78 added in.

It took a while to process as anyone who has done a mosaic can tell you but I like the widefield story it has to tell that is really not possible at this resolution without a mosaic.

The image has been shot with 3 different scopes. The main image is using a Tak FSQ106ED. M78 was taken with a TEC180 fluorite. The Horsehead was shot with an AP140. M42 was shot with the TEC180 fluorite. They have been blended in using Registar and Photoshop.

Equipment was Takahashi NJP mount, Tak FSQ106ED with reducer, adapters and FLI Proline 16803. Autoguided with an Astrotech 66ED guidescope and an SBIG ST402ME camera. I use a standard 10 minute exposure at -30C.

I have an observatory that I can setup in when I am down there. Skies are very very dark (9/10 perhaps) and seeing can be superb at times.

I framed it to take in Barnard's Loop which is rarely imaged and is brighter than I expected in the Ha images.

Here it is:

http://upload.pbase.com/image/133257168

Greg.

[sadia]

this is absolutely wonderful Greg . Bottom left half is my fav.

[suma126 (Shane)]

all i can its breathtaking I'm going to save this as a screen saver

[renormalised (Carl)]

Brilliant!!!

Pity you lost 5-6 hours of subs....it might've been even better than what it already is. The Loop is spectacular, stars are nice and tight, colour excellent

[marc4darkskies (Marcus)]

That's an awesome image Greg!! Just spectacular ... I see a DM award in your future ! Well done!!

Wouldn't mind seeing a higher res version though. That's the problem with large mosaics - you can't display them (easily).

3 Billion pixels?

Cheers, Marcus

[richardo (Rich)]

This is superb Greg!!
Huge amount of detailed areas and everything is just right colour wise, intensity and the Ha areas are just perfect.

Top stuff and very much worth the time, travelling and effort when you get results like this.

Very well done.

All the best
Rich

[paulF (Paul)]

Wow Greg! Speechless!! Amazing effort and thus an amazing image!

[troypiggo (Troy)]

Absolutely breathtaking. Can't even comprehend the time taken to process this, let alone capture the data, calibrate, combine etc. Mucho kudos to you!

[CometGuy]

Whoa Greg..thats impressive!

[atalas]

Excellent Greg!

[telemarker (Keith)]

You photon hog!!!

Kidding aside, that is a seriously good image. Something to be proud of.

Regards
Keith

[A23649 (Nathan)]

saw this and went "wow, thats my new desktop screen saver!"

love these massive mosaics

[Leonardo70 (Leonardo Orazi)]

Greg ... WOW

Ciao,
Leo

[seeker372011 (Narayan)]

Stunning

[Tandum (Robin)]

Amazing Greg. You definately have too much time on your hands

[marco (Marco Lorenzi)]

Excellent sharpness here Greg! These mosaics are lots of fun, aren't they? If you allow me a suggestion, I would just tune a bit the luminosity of both the Barnard loop and M42 core to avoid them to over-saturate and give to this wonderful framing a more natural look

Clear Skies
Marco

[TrevorW]

What can you say

[peter_4059 (Peter)]

It took a long time to download and you can see why - stunning!

[RobF (Rob)]

Just wonderful. I'm going swimming in Orion for a while now.....

[Octane (Humayun)]

Goodness me, Greg. Wow!

I do agree with Marco's summary of processing, though. Is there any chance you could perhaps turn down the luminance of the brighter portions in Barnard's Loop?

Staggering effort -- very impressed!

H