The butterfly cluster and the surrounding Milky Way

strongmanmike (Michael) · #1 20-07-2010, 10:21 PM

This was a quicky to end the morning before the fog rolled in too thick.

The image contains three clusters: M6 The butterfly Cluster, NGC 6404 and 6416

Here is the usual album of full frame and crops to look at. For those that like to look at every pixel and every bit of noise

...have a swim around the large image... if you dare

Remember, to see the full size version open a thumbnail and then select "original" from the other sizes menu at the bottom of the page.

M6 and surrounding Milky Way

I am really loving this camera, seems so easy to work with

Mike

Ric · #2 20-07-2010, 10:32 PM

Lovely image Mike.

The Butterfly really jumps out from the Milky way backdrop.

renormalised (Carl) · #3 20-07-2010, 10:34 PM

Nicely done, Mike. Great colours and well rounded stars

Craig_L · #4 20-07-2010, 10:51 PM

Arresting composition puts the butterfly in a new light!

h0ughy (David) · #5 20-07-2010, 11:28 PM

WOW what a slice of cake - Mike that is a huge field of view when i compare my megre test attempt with this one. I cant get over the amount of stars - breathtaking. Between you amd Mr Ward - optical nirvana

gregbradley · #6 21-07-2010, 07:25 AM

A lovely widefield image Mike. I love the subtle red background colours.
It looks a lot like a Thomas Davis image.

Your filters don't halo on bright stars - that's a plus.

Greg.

luigi · #7 21-07-2010, 07:40 AM

Hi Michael,

Beautiful images, the Butterfly cluster is beautiful and the way you composed the image with the surrounding MW is really nice.
Very well done!

multiweb (Marc) · #8 21-07-2010, 08:32 AM

Yeah great colours. Beautiful field. Very diverse.

Hagar (Doug) · #9 21-07-2010, 08:37 AM

Doesn't the cluster stand out, beautiful big field without dwarfing the cluster. Very nice Mike.

avandonk · #10 21-07-2010, 09:27 AM

Wonderful image as usual Mike. If I was you I would get an aperture laser cut to mount immediately in front of the first element in your 152mm APO. You would only have to reduce the native aperture by a few mm. The flare around the bright stars are caused by inhomogeneities (differences) of the edges of the first element holder. This causes very slight scattering and diffraction that is non uniform. It is even worse as your camera gets more sensitive, as even the slightest or weak faint aberrations are beautifully recorded when the source is a very bright star.

Televue has been doing this for years by blackening the edges of all lenses in their eyepieces.

If you do not believe me just do a test with a bit of very black paper or card as an aperture smaller than the entrance of your fine 152mm APO.

Bert

Alchemy (Clive) · #11 21-07-2010, 12:31 PM

Better skies where you are, just as well you ate your veggies as a kid the mount setup must weigh a lot, not exactly what most normal sized people would call portable.

The cluster stands out well from the background, I am hesitant to comment on the color as I couldn't exactly say an iPad is correctly color balanced.

Clive.

Martin Pugh · #12 21-07-2010, 01:48 PM

Man, I wish I could see the Milky Way from my location - all blocked out by trees. I sure miss those southern skies.

You did a good job Mike on isolating the cluster from the rich Milky Way.

nice image.
cheers
Martin

jase (Jason) · #13 21-07-2010, 01:57 PM

Well presented image Mike. Cluster definition and colours are on the money. Good work.

Cheers

Phil Hart · #14 21-07-2010, 09:02 PM

i agree with Martin and Marc... great star colours and the cluster has a nice separation from the background.. no doubt due to big sensor working with nice optics. i don't like my shots of this cluster.. all looks too busy. this is the way to shoot it

marc4darkskies (Marcus) · #15 21-07-2010, 09:58 PM

Very nice Mike!

You caught an asteroid by the look too (?) - just above and to the left of the bright white star at 3 o'clock. Curious that the track doesn't show red green and blue, but rather orange green and magenta. I guess the red and blue components overlap stars in the frame.

Cheers, Marcus

strongmanmike (Michael) · #16 21-07-2010, 11:37 PM

Cheers everyone, thanks for the replies and glad you liked the cluster part, I was happy with this aspect too

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregbradley

A lovely widefield image Mike. I love the subtle red background colours.
It looks a lot like a Thomas Davis image.

Your filters don't halo on bright stars - that's a plus.

Greg.

Mate that was a compliment and a half

Tom is my idol

No prominent halos, you're right, due to the new low reflection filter line from Astronomik and the ultra high transmssion CCD window from FLI

Quote:

Originally Posted by avandonk

Wonderful image as usual Mike. If I was you I would get an aperture laser cut to mount immediately in front of the first element in your 152mm APO. You would only have to reduce the native aperture by a few mm. The flare around the bright stars are caused by inhomogeneities (differences) of the edges of the first element holder. This causes very slight scattering and diffraction that is non uniform. It is even worse as your camera gets more sensitive, as even the slightest or weak faint aberrations are beautifully recorded when the source is a very bright star.

Televue has been doing this for years by blackening the edges of all lenses in their eyepieces.

If you do not believe me just do a test with a bit of very black paper or card as an aperture smaller than the entrance of your fine 152mm APO.

Bert

Interesting Bert, might try it

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alchemy

Better skies where you are, just as well you ate your veggies as a kid the mount setup must weigh a lot, not exactly what most normal sized people would call portable.

The cluster stands out well from the background, I am hesitant to comment on the color as I couldn't exactly say an iPad is correctly color balanced.

Clive.

Yes Clive, I do have some nice (and heavy) gear and I am sure I would finish up there in the "guy who goes to the most trouble to get his images" awards

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martin Pugh

Man, I wish I could see the Milky Way from my location - all blocked out by trees. I sure miss those southern skies.

You did a good job Mike on isolating the cluster from the rich Milky Way.

nice image.
cheers
Martin

Have no sympathy for you Martin, my place is covered with trees, power lines and 3 major road lights..like I do you just gotta travel mate, if you like I'll write you a gym program to beef you up ready for lifting the RC and PME

Quote:

Originally Posted by philiphart

i agree with Martin and Marc... great star colours and the cluster has a nice separation from the background.. no doubt due to big sensor working with nice optics. i don't like my shots of this cluster.. all looks too busy. this is the way to shoot it

Yeh I know, didums there, there

, not many of your shots are very good are they?..

Seriosuly, cheers mate and very well done on scooping the pool at the DM's. At the low resolution displayed on the 2010 CWAS website at least, I have to say...you were very unlucky not to have pipped Jase mate for the overall, must have been close

Quote:

Originally Posted by marc4darkskies

Very nice Mike!

You caught an asteroid by the look too (?) - just above and to the left of the bright white star at 3 o'clock. Curious that the track doesn't show red green and blue, but rather orange green and magenta. I guess the red and blue components overlap stars in the frame.

Cheers, Marcus

I thought you'd like this Marcus, I had my Marcus colour hat on

Mike

Octane (Humayun) · #17 22-07-2010, 12:27 AM

Mike,

I absolutely adore the framing of the overall picture. With such an enormous field of view, it gives you so many options as far as composition goes. I'm not a fan of the rule of thirds when it comes to astrophotography, as it usually just doesn't work. But, here, you've managed to capture the sparkling gems (of arguably my favourite cluster) in such a way that they resemble its namesake.

An omniverse-bound, fluttering celestial butterfly. Magic.

I love it, and, in a way, I think it's one of your finest images.

H

strongmanmike (Michael) · #18 22-07-2010, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Octane

Mike,

I absolutely adore the framing of the overall picture. With such an enormous field of view, it gives you so many options as far as composition goes. I'm not a fan of the rule of thirds when it comes to astrophotography, as it usually just doesn't work. But, here, you've managed to capture the sparkling gems (of arguably my favourite cluster) in such a way that they resemble its namesake.

An omniverse-bound, fluttering celestial butterfly. Magic.

I love it, and, in a way, I think it's one of your finest images.

H

.....

So glad you liked it Humi

Bassnut (Fred) · #19 22-07-2010, 05:48 PM

Well, its pure WFW natch, but despite that distinct disadvantage and far too many stars, its mildly interesting

. On viewing in PS, you have a solid offset in blue background there, whys that?, tweaking that out improved it, so are you cheating to make the stars sparkle?

strongmanmike (Michael) · #20 22-07-2010, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassnut

Well, its pure WFW natch, but despite that distinct disadvantage and far too many stars, its mildly interesting

. On viewing in PS, you have a solid offset in blue background there, whys that?, tweaking that out improved it, so are you cheating to make the stars sparkle?

No idea...just cook and taste, cook and taste and voi la!

, don't like the blue..? Tough