IC2631 dust and reflection nebula

gregbradley · #1 20-03-2012, 10:54 PM

This object is quite close to the south celestial pole. I was impressed that the guiding worked well with a guide scope as it can be hard there.

An interesting area with both dust and bright stars illuminating it with a large amount of reflection nebula.

Taken at my dark site observatory last night with very good seeing. medium to light winds, kind of cool to cold 15C and some fast moving cloud at times that wrecked about 1.5 hours worth of RGB but I got enough. When I left it I figured I most likely would not get an image as I expected clouds to fly over and throw off the autoguider but it all worked. Sometimes things go your way!

3 hours, AP 140 and .75X reducer (155TCC), 10 minute exposures, PMX,
Lodestar guide camera, Vixen 95VMC guide scope:

http://upload.pbase.com/gregbradley/...42188451/large regular size
http://upload.pbase.com/gregbradley/...88451/original large size

Greg.

cventer · #2 20-03-2012, 11:08 PM

Very nice greg. Nice color on stars and dust. Well done.

I notice 2 satelite trails in there. Did median combine or data reject not get them ?

Top left of frame stars are slightly eggy. (yes being very picky). Is this slight focal plane tilt from weight of Proline ?

Stevec35 (Steve) · #3 20-03-2012, 11:15 PM

I imagine you would be pretty happy with that Greg apart from the satellite trail. Possibly a bit too yellow on my monitor but that's only a minor thing.

Cheers

Steve

gregbradley · #4 21-03-2012, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cventer

Very nice greg. Nice color on stars and dust. Well done.

I notice 2 satelite trails in there. Did median combine or data reject not get them ?

Top left of frame stars are slightly eggy. (yes being very picky). Is this slight focal plane tilt from weight of Proline ?

Thanks Chris.

Yeah I thought the satellite trails would go as well in median combine bit not in this case. I did not do data reject on this image. I may go back and use it. I usually do data reject but I was wondering if it also makes data less sharp as the interpolation process after removal of rejects possibly could do that.

Eggy stars are slightly wrong adapter distance. Unfortunately I have 2 adapters with 2 extension pieces so I can use both Proline and microline camera. I need to label them more exactly as I was not sure which combo went with which camera in the end. I tried several combos. This seemed best but is not the right one. The right combo gives perfect stars to the corner but the downside of this wonderful AP reducer/corrector is it requires accuracy to +/- 1mm. So no tolerance for error.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stevec35

I imagine you would be pretty happy with that Greg apart from the satellite trail. Possibly a bit too yellow on my monitor but that's only a minor thing.

Cheers

Steve

Thanks Steve. Top half looks a but yellow perhaps? I took that as a thin layer of dust. I have seen FSQ images of this area and the dust is very extensive. I'll check it though. Thanks.

gregbradley · #5 21-03-2012, 09:30 AM

I did a repro to remove the satellite trail (it was only in one luminance sub so simple - I didn't use that sub).

I also used normalise/data reject/hot cold pixel removal/interpolate as usual and it cleaned up the image nicely. There were little black specs in the other version that I had to Photoshop out.

Also colour balance is much improved and the image was way less noisy.

I guess I stick to my usual routine.

Same link as before:

http://upload.pbase.com/gregbradley/...42188451/large regular size
http://upload.pbase.com/gregbradley/...88451/original large size

Greg.

Paul Haese · #6 21-03-2012, 09:42 AM

This is an image not seen here and one I really like. Maybe just a little too red on the caste but an interesting looking field of view. Some slight noise but overall I think really nice looking image. Great composition.

strongmanmike (Michael) · #7 21-03-2012, 12:23 PM

That's a cool looking area Greg huh? Nice job on a different target...something I should like to target from a dark sky...perhaps SPSP..?

The repro is better by the way

Mike

Peter Ward · #8 21-03-2012, 12:38 PM

I agree with Paul...there is a minor guiding...perhaps even field rotation error (happens with really deep images) ...but I'm being picky as well.

The rest is eye candy. Nicely done

TrevorW · #9 21-03-2012, 12:50 PM

Hi Greg can't really critique other than whats already been said but none the less pleasing to the eye

Cheers Trevor

desler · #10 21-03-2012, 01:29 PM

Hi Greg,

I think it's a stunner of an image and not one that we get to see often. Yes, I too noticed the starts in top left, hell, I think I could live with that if I produced something as eye pleasing as this!

Very well done!

Darren

gregbradley · #11 21-03-2012, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Haese

This is an image not seen here and one I really like. Maybe just a little too red on the caste but an interesting looking field of view. Some slight noise but overall I think really nice looking image. Great composition.

Thanks Paul. Yes the noise comes from a lack of total exposure but I was happy to get something given the variable weather. The red bias I can look at. Cheers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

That's a cool looking area Greg huh? Nice job on a different target...something I should like to target from a dark sky...perhaps SPSP..?

The repro is better by the way

Mike

Thanks Mike. I varied my normal routine and it was good in a way because it helps show what it fixes up along the way.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Ward

I agree with Paul...there is a minor guiding...perhaps even field rotation error (happens with really deep images) ...but I'm being picky as well.

The rest is eye candy. Nicely done

It could be. Thanks Peter. It was nice to get good seeing and relatively clear skies. The guiding definitely was harder that close to the pole.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrevorW

Hi Greg can't really critique other than whats already been said but none the less pleasing to the eye

Cheers Trevor

Cheers Trev.

Quote:

Originally Posted by desler

Hi Greg,

I think it's a stunner of an image and not one that we get to see often. Yes, I too noticed the starts in top left, hell, I think I could live with that if I produced something as eye pleasing as this!

Very well done!

Darren

Thanks Darren.

Martin Pugh · #12 21-03-2012, 08:18 PM

A very nice image Greg of an uncommon object. Possibly one of your best.

cheers
Martin

gregbradley · #13 21-03-2012, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martin Pugh

A very nice image Greg of an uncommon object. Possibly one of your best.

cheers
Martin

Wow, thanks Martin. Cheers.

Greg.

allan gould · #14 21-03-2012, 10:09 PM

Just beautiful - thats all.

gregbradley · #15 22-03-2012, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by allan gould

Just beautiful - thats all.

Thanks Allan.

Greg.

multiweb (Marc) · #16 22-03-2012, 11:49 AM

That's a great photo Greg. Love the colours and the dark extensions against the starry background. Not unlike Ophiuchus.

marc4darkskies (Marcus) · #17 22-03-2012, 12:44 PM

Lovely shot Greg! Well done!!

On my target list now!

Cheers, Marcus

gregbradley · #18 22-03-2012, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by multiweb

That's a great photo Greg. Love the colours and the dark extensions against the starry background. Not unlike Ophiuchus.

Thanks Marc. The area is a little bit more extensive than this but what I've gotten is the bulk of it. An FSQ would catch almost all of it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by marc4darkskies

Lovely shot Greg! Well done!!

On my target list now!

Cheers, Marcus

Cheers Marcus. Its quite close to the South Celestial Pole.

Greg.

avandonk · #19 22-03-2012, 04:20 PM

If there was a globular cluster in the mix I would swear we are looking at Corona Australis from behind!

Bert

atalas · #20 22-03-2012, 04:25 PM

A very interesting area Greg...nice work.