I was planning a much deeper image but this has proved a bit laborious to complete and I got bored It wasn't the processing but the acquisition...the bloody weather was so annoying, it took three nights and crappy high cloud ruined big swaths of each night and the seeing was pretty average to below average. When the seeing was good the cloud would roll in man one of the most frustrating images I have completed.
In the end the processing was quite straight forward (love this SX camera!). Yeah some more data would have assisted but meah, I am no Rolf 120hrs Olsen ...too impatient especially when cloud stuffs up three nights
It's just over 7hrs worth all up including 70min of Ha to highlight the HII regions a bit.
Located in Grus, this galaxy looks to me a bit like the famous northern sky galaxy M101 but is about a 1/4 the size at just 9' X 8' - like M101 though, it has cool colourful knotted arms
You're not going to believe this but I'm currently in the process of collecting data on this sucker from the 'burbs. At a magnitude of 11 and my first lot of data being cloud affected the result of 2.5hrs is pretty dim! I'm going to persevere because I'm keen to see what I can do from the backyard here in Brissie....
But then, having seen your fantastic result I might just try imaging something else...
Cheers,
Mario
PS NGC7424 is so dim that I gave up last Friday night because I thought I couldn't find it. Turns out on the Saturday night I was in the right spot, just couldn't see it!!
Excellent image Mike! Nice work on the addition of Ha data to make the HII regions pop. Love the colour. Its a stunning galaxy though I do feel its screaming for more focal length. Never the less a great result. The wider field view is my pick over the 100% crop. Well done.
Nice one, Mike! You got a good result despite the frustration. I found this one difficult as well...
Cheers,
Rick.
Oh the processing was a cinch, it was the infuriating arrival of solid high and mucky cloud that really pissed me off I was planning a good deep exposure on this but I am simply not that interested in spending 3+ nights on one single object anymore...too much Universe out there to capture under the new dome...if I lived high in teh Andes maybe...
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Originally Posted by Larryp
Very nice, Mike!
Cheers Larry
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Originally Posted by peter_4059
Good Job Mike. Like the colours. Must be pretty faint.
Yes quite faint at 23.4mag/squ arc sec - as a comparison, another faint galaxy, NGC 6744 in Pavo is brighter at 22.7mag/sq arc sec all compared to NGC 253 which is a super bright 21.3mag/squ arc sec = a big difference
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Originally Posted by multiweb
Great colors. Some really nice details in the core dust lanes. Wider field is my pick.
Cheers Marc, this is a difficult galaxy to render well, a high mountain in the Andes...err?..have I mentioned that before
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Originally Posted by cybereye
Bloody nice!!
You're not going to believe this but I'm currently in the process of collecting data on this sucker from the 'burbs. At a magnitude of 11 and my first lot of data being cloud affected the result of 2.5hrs is pretty dim! I'm going to persevere because I'm keen to see what I can do from the backyard here in Brissie....
But then, having seen your fantastic result I might just try imaging something else...
Cheers,
Mario
PS NGC7424 is so dim that I gave up last Friday night because I thought I couldn't find it. Turns out on the Saturday night I was in the right spot, just couldn't see it!!
Yes it is faint (see reply to Pete) but I am sure with your now famous processing tenacity (rivalling the famous Sidonioing) you will produce something more than respectable Muzza
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Originally Posted by gregbradley
A very impressive for a small dim galaxy.
Greg.
Cheers Greg
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Originally Posted by IanP
Yeah, it’s a very dim sucker! but you’ve nailed it!
Thanks for sharing!
Cheers, glad you think so Ian, from a high mountain in a pristine location things might have been better
Quote:
Originally Posted by jase
I do feel its screaming for more focal length. Never the less a great result.
Yeah I guess buuut in the end you have to use what you have at ya disposal and where it is located too huh?..having said that, I recon the 12" with just 1120mm FL at F3.8 holds its own against these two formidable 3300mm FL 14.5" RC shots..?
This one is faint but a fast scope really helps, 7424 does have lovely knots within and some Ha you have shown clearly. This is an attractive galaxy/image just a pity it is not bigger and brighter like M83.
Beautiful shot you got there Mike, very nice colours and processing. And it's a great galaxy too. A pity it's not closer to us since it seems to contain so many cool HII regions etc.
I wonder if there is a Hubble image of this one, that would be interesting.
Thanks for the view Mike!
This one is faint but a fast scope really helps, 7424 does have lovely knots within and some Ha you have shown clearly. This is an attractive galaxy/image just a pity it is not bigger and brighter like M83.
John.
Thanks John..or a bigger scope on a high steady skies mountain
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Originally Posted by naskies
Wow, great colours - especially with the extra Ha I love all the little galaxies in the background too.
Thanks Dave yes background galaxies are always good to have in an image, creates perspective
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Originally Posted by Shiraz
another beauty Mike - Ha adds a nice bit of definition. Regards Ray
Thanks ray
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Originally Posted by SkyViking
I wonder if there is a Hubble image of this one, that would be interesting.
Thanks for the view Mike!
I agree Rolf, HERE is a comparison with an image by the VLT in Chile
... the acquisition...the bloody weather was so annoying, it took three nights and crappy high cloud ruined big swaths of each night and the seeing was pretty average to below average. When the seeing was good the cloud would roll in man one of the most frustrating images I have completed....
Sympathies Mike, I hear you mate! I get very cranky (with a 'p') with the cloud gods here too - regularly . They like to play peekaboo.
I can see the seeing related softness but it's still a very nice image. I like how the Ha regions pop but you've kept it looking natural. Presentation-wise, I'd go with the wider field.
Sympathies Mike, I hear you mate! I get very cranky (with a 'p') with the cloud gods here too - regularly . They like to play peekaboo.
I can see the seeing related softness but it's still a very nice image. I like how the Ha regions pop but you've kept it looking natural. Presentation-wise, I'd go with the wider field.
Cheers, Marcus
Cheers Marcus, yes none of the three nights on this gave me the reasonably good seeing I had for my last image - the Devils Mask As I said and apart from the cloud, in the end I got bored waiting and feel the need to move on to something else
I will get a great night I know, and when I do this scope-camera combo should really kick details butt
Nice image Mike. Great colours considering the colour collection is a bit light (based on what I heard at AAIC) on. From what the big boys were saying 3 hours minimum on the colours and no binning. So what you have here is pretty good. I really like the Ha development in the image too. An image I am working on presently will need Ha data taken too and that could mean lots of hours. Do you have an uncropped image showing the whole field of view? I know I keep asking this but I am interested in seeing the whole field of view. Often there are many interesting little things to see around these objects.
I can see a PMX or AP900-1200 in your future. Being robotic has helped to gather a lot of data and means I can throw away more too. Best of all you get to sleep and wake up to more data and safe gear. The NJP has been a valiant warrior but it might be time.
Nice image Mike. Great colours considering the colour collection is a bit light (based on what I heard at AAIC) on. From what the big boys were saying 3 hours minimum on the colours and no binning. So what you have here is pretty good.
Ahhh big boys..? Hmm? Wolfgang Promper is famous for producing amazingly colourful images with hardly any colour data too I don't bin my colour either.
Quote:
I really like the Ha development in the image too. An image I am working on presently will need Ha data taken too and that could mean lots of hours.
Cheers Paul, the addition of relatively small amounts of Ha in a galaxy shot makes a difference. Not keen when the HII regions dominate but a slight enhancement always looks good I recon
Quote:
Do you have an uncropped image showing the whole field of view? I know I keep asking this but I am interested in seeing the whole field of view. Often there are many interesting little things to see around these objects.
The wider shot is already about 75% of the full field and cropped mainly to improve composition ..although in this case clouds produced some residual outer frame gradients and an edge of field star produced a strong glow (not rays) at the bottom of the frame and then there was the dithered edges, which all meant I felt it more pleasing to slightly crop it. THIS is a full frame image though, kept to preserve the galaxy at the upper right edge there
Quote:
I can see a PMX or AP900-1200 in your future. Being robotic has helped to gather a lot of data and means I can throw away more too. Best of all you get to sleep and wake up to more data and safe gear. The NJP has been a valiant warrior but it might be time.
Who knows, yes be good for sure, even with the observatory now I am still reluctant to chuck data..but in the end it's all about the money...not sure about you but I don't have endless amounts
It wasn't the processing but the acquisition...the bloody weather was so annoying, it took three nights and crappy high cloud ruined big swaths of each night and the seeing was pretty average to below average. When the seeing was good the cloud would roll in 
man one of the most frustrating images I have completed.
As I said and apart from the cloud, in the end I got bored waiting and feel the need to move on to something else 
..although in this case clouds produced some residual outer frame gradients and an edge of field star produced a strong glow (not rays) at the bottom of the frame and then there was the dithered edges, which all meant I felt it more pleasing to slightly crop it. 
