Keyhole Nebula (ESO palette)

Peter Ward · #1 25-03-2009, 05:59 PM

Hello Group,

Details: RCOS14.25 @ F15.8, PME, SBIG STL11k, AOL, Baader HA,L RGB set.

Capture: CCDops AOL guiding from 2 to 10 Hz.

Processing: MaxIm and Photoshop

Ha layering is always a matter of taste, but with this version I used a recent ESO 2.2m image as a guide for the final colour balance.

Apologies for the various iterations....but the most recent here:

http://www.atscope.com.au/BRO/gallery17.html

spearo (Frank) · #2 25-03-2009, 06:46 PM

Simply superb
crisp as can be without a doubt
frank

CoombellKid · #3 25-03-2009, 06:59 PM

Spectacular Image

of a spectacular object. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers

KenGee (Kenith Gee) · #4 25-03-2009, 07:15 PM

Very good Peter, giving the strongman the finger!

Peter Ward · #5 25-03-2009, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenGee

Very good Peter, giving the strongman the finger!

It wasn't my intention.....I'd still want the no-so-little-bugger on my side in a bar brawl

TrevorW · #6 25-03-2009, 07:52 PM

What can you say

Ric · #7 25-03-2009, 08:07 PM

That's a cracker Peter, very sharp and detailed.

Cheers

Kal (Andrew) · #8 25-03-2009, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenGee

Very good Peter, giving the strongman the finger!

lol, this was the first thing that crossed my mind when I viewed the image too, you just know he is going to ask for an uncropped fickle finger!

Very nice image Peter, I really like the colour balance, and the detail is superb

telecasterguru (Frank) · #9 25-03-2009, 09:39 PM

Great image, amazing depth. Just like being there.

Peter Ward · #10 25-03-2009, 10:09 PM

First up, thanks Tev, Kev, Ken, Kal, Ric, Spear'o, Coo'mo

To be sure, I used the "heavy artillery" to capture this image, but also threw a whole lot of data (3 hours worth) away due poor seeing....and this is a pretty important principle ....GI-GO ie. "garbage in - garbage out"

For the newbies on ISS- who aim just a little higher, take time to gather good data, i.e. accurately polar align, focus, colliminate, calibrate, track and autoguide.

With tight, round stars & bugger-all noise, you get a whole lot of returns in the processing!

Unless you are just having a bit of fun, eggy, bloated stars and noise guarantee a mediocre result.

Thus endeth the sermon.

marc4darkskies (Marcus) · #11 25-03-2009, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Ward

Unless you are just having a bit of fun, eggy, bloated stars and noise guarantee a mediocre result.

Thus endeth the sermon.

Superb image Peter in every respect!!

The Homunculus shows up a treat too - way cool!

Good sermon too.

Now ... let us pray

Dear Peter, who art in the Shire, hallowed be thy images, thy imaging be done in my obs as it is in yours. Give us this day our perfect tracking, and forgive us our blurry images, as we forgive them who don't have autofocussing, for thine is the Paramount, the SBIG and the RCOS, for ever and ever ...

... Amen, Marcus

strongmanmike (Michael) · #12 26-03-2009, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenGee

Very good Peter, giving the strongman the finger!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Ward

It wasn't my intention.....I'd still want the no-so-little-bugger on my side in a bar brawl

Ok Ok..you guys! steady on

Now your little surmon is all well and good Peter but newbies don't generally have an automated permanent observatory that allows them the luxury of being able to utilise every clear moment and thus be happy to toss less than perfect data when ever they please, nor do they have adaptive optics on a state of the art $70grand worth of 14.5" RC + robotic PME

...Ok, I'm just jealous

Peter has great experience and skills and "the" best equipment for this so he can handle some pushing and poking

Now, this is clearly a great looking image even at this relatively small size

. Good smooth data and processing, very nice work Peter, the resolution looks good here but must look just awesome at fuller size

I would love to see you display the following FOV..? Be interested in what detail you have extracted in comparison (shuder to think actually

)

http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike20...05156/original

Let me guess?...have to wait till the David Malin Awards I bet?

Oh and I'm an ex-strongman so never fear

Mike

strongmanmike (Michael) · #13 26-03-2009, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marc4darkskies

Now ... let us pray

Dear Peter, who art in the Shire, hallowed be thy images, thy imaging be done in my obs as it is in yours. Give us this day our perfect tracking, and forgive us our blurry images, as we forgive them who don't have autofocussing, for thine is the Paramount, the SBIG and the RCOS, for ever and ever ...

... Amen, Marcus

Our very own Father Marcus

madwayne (Wayne) · #14 26-03-2009, 07:33 AM

Stunning image Peter and thanks for sharing it (and others) and your words of wisdom. As Mike quite rightly points out we do not all have equipment like yours, but certainly envy it and the results you are able to achieve with it. But anyone aspiring to improve their image quality, regardless of their equipment, should heed your words strongly. I know it hurts to throw out data, particularly when you do not have a permanent setup but as you say garbage in is definitely garbage out.

Wayne

Peter Ward · #15 26-03-2009, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marc4darkskies

Superb image Peter in every respect!!

The Homunculus shows up a treat too - way cool!

Good sermon too.

Now ... let us pray

And now a reading from the Book of Python.....

And the Lord spake, saying, "First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin, then shalt thou count to three, no more, no less.

Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three.

Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three.

Five is right out.

Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it."

Amen.

Peter Ward · #16 26-03-2009, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Let me guess?...have to wait till the David Malin Awards I bet?

Mike

Yep, you'll just have to wait for the 16x20 print

Peter Ward · #17 26-03-2009, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Be interested in what detail you have extracted in comparison....

OK...I'll take that as an invitation to compare the two sets of data.....a rollover page can be seen here.

http://www.atscope.com.au/BRO/gallery37ro.html

Kal (Andrew) · #18 26-03-2009, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter Ward

OK...I'll take that as an invitation to compare the two sets of data.....a rollover page can be seen here.

http://www.atscope.com.au/BRO/gallery37ro.html

Hmmm, doing a blink comparison between the two images there is a star that is in your image that isn't in Mikes image. It is just to the right of the homunculus, around the 2 o'clock position (orange star). Any thoughts on this star?

BTW - I absolutely love how you have processed the homunculus in the image Peter - getting a good shot of that alone makes the photo worthwhile. Admittedly, I spent about 10 minutes looking at your image yesterday just marvelling at the nebula detail that I didn't even look at the eta carina star!

bluescope · #19 26-03-2009, 12:24 PM

That's all I will say ... brilliant Peter !

Peter Ward · #20 26-03-2009, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kal

Hmmm, doing a blink comparison between the two images there is a star that is in your image that isn't in Mikes image. It is just to the right of the homunculus, around the 2 o'clock position (orange star). Any thoughts on this star?

The same star can be found in the ESO's recent image of the same area...hence no new discoveries there

....as for why it's not in Mike's data guess you'll have to ask big Mike.