A quick 10 minute exposure of the field around NGC 3199 in NIR (near infrared) with a 300mm lens revealed that NGC 3247 is a fairly bright object in NIR.
The differences when NGC3247 is imaged in Ha and NIR is dramatic.
Due to the longer wavelength, NIR is able to penetrate the heavily obscured field and reveal may more stars.
Of particular interest to astronomers is Westerlund 2 which is the compact cluster in NGC 3247. It is located just above the main body of the nebula.
In the Ha image it is very obscured but conspicuous in NIR.
Interesting stuff Steven. After a long delay I've finally added the NIR filters into my system and am currently looking for targets. You might have given me one.
The might call me madbadgalaxyman, but Dana is definitely the Mad Cluster Man; he will spend multiple nights trying to glimpse a vanishingly faint Star Cluster, and he looks up all of the science about his target of observation.
The might call me madbadgalaxyman, but Dana is definitely the Mad Cluster Man; he will spend multiple nights trying to glimpse a vanishingly faint Star Cluster, and he looks up all of the science about his target of observation.
cheers,
Robert
Thanks Robert.
I used to be an observer of faint objects. Modern day astroimaging is the easy way out, instead of training (and straining) yourself in the "art" of visually detecting faint objects.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gregbradley
Interesting work Steven. The NIR really reveals a lot more.
Greg.
Thanks Greg.
I'm pleased I have been able to work out a procedure where I can obtain good colour balance with a filter that blocks out light in the visible spectrum.
Quote:
Originally Posted by strongmanmike
Wow, big difference Steve
Fred would positively hate that filter, it'd give him nightmares!
Mike
Thanks Mike. What are Fred's objections?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stevec35
Interesting stuff Steven. After a long delay I've finally added the NIR filters into my system and am currently looking for targets. You might have given me one.
Cheers
Steve
Thanks Steve.
My ST-10XME is a good match with the Astrodon NIR filter.
Are you using the Astrodon filter with your setup?
interesting comparo Steven. I guess that the wider bandwidth of the NIR filter will accentuate the stars a bit more than Ha, but it definitely looks as though the better transmission also helps.
interesting comparo Steven. I guess that the wider bandwidth of the NIR filter will accentuate the stars a bit more than Ha, but it definitely looks as though the better transmission also helps.
Thanks Ray,
The wider bandwidth does help in revealing more stars in the NIR image.
In the nebular regions, photons in the NIR range are relatively unscattered compared to the shorter wavelength visible range photons.
Thanks Steve.
My ST-10XME is a good match with the Astrodon NIR filter.
Are you using the Astrodon filter with your setup?
Clear skies
Steven
Quote:
I use the Astrodon NIR Luminance and colour filters
I also use the Astrodon NIR luminance and RGB filters.
Rather than using the Astrodon NIR "colour filters", I map the NIR to R and use the same exposure time as for the G and B exposures.
An interesting look at the same object through different sets of eyes. Not sure which I like the best. NIR is an intriguing view.
Thanks Paul,
My preference is for the NIR image because it is different.
The Ha image is just a run of the mill image which is no different from the hundreds of other images of the same object.
