Horsehead Region

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

This was meant to be a long term project to go deep into this region, but it seems I have hit the wall with diminishing returns due to rising night time temps here in the tropics. Adding more data doesn't seem to do anything helpful at these temperatures. Might be my last nebula deep sky until next May! I think the only thing that can help me now is a faster optical system.

About 6 hours of data for this one, mostly 5, 4 and 3 minute subs. Can't expose very long now due to thermal noise. Skywatcher ED100 at F7.2, Baader Semi-Apo filter, Pentax K-5.

Bigger ---> http://astrob.in/123229/0/

[SimmoW (SIMON)]

Very nice considering your temp and noise challenges Kevin. Lord knows you've tried with all those hrs.

[RickS (Rick)]

Nice job, Kevin!

[RB (Andrew)]

Very good work Kevin, nice colour rendition.
Well done.

[LewisM]

That's a cracker!

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

Originally Posted by SimmoW

Very nice considering your temp and noise challenges Kevin. Lord knows you've tried with all those hrs.

Thanks Simon. Well I had a good run this winter. Pretty happy with all the images I got in the cool. But looks like I've found the limits of this system.

Originally Posted by RickS

Nice job, Kevin!

Thanks Rick!

Originally Posted by RB

Very good work Kevin, nice colour rendition.
Well done.

Thanks Andrew! I quite like the colour also.

Originally Posted by LewisM

That's a cracker!

Thanks Lewis!

[Camelopardalis (Dunk)]

Beautiful rendition Kevin I've been trying a bit of this myself down here in the "mountains" and blown away by this. Keep up the good work!

[PeterEde (Peter)]

Wow
Looks great

[Saturn%5 (Graeme)]

Very Nice

[nebulosity. (Jo)]

Great stuff Kevin

Jo

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

Thanks Dunk, Peter, Graeme and Jo!

[lazjen (Chris)]

Looks great. I hope to have a real go too at this region soon.

[tilbrook@rbe.ne (Justin Tilbrook)]

Really good for such light polluted skies Kevin!

Cheers,

Justin.

[Ross G]

A nice looking Horsehead photo Kevin.

Ross.

[Rigel003 (Graeme)]

Nicely framed and processed. You're right about the background noise caused by the temperature though. Time to upgrade to a cooled CCD and you can be shooting at -30 throughout the year.

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

Originally Posted by lazjen

Looks great. I hope to have a real go too at this region soon.

Thanks Chris. Good luck with the project.

Originally Posted by tilbrook@rbe.ne

Really good for such light polluted skies Kevin!
Cheers,
Justin.

Thanks Justin. The Baader LP filter definitely helped, but of course it would be better from darker skies. And higher elevation too.

Originally Posted by Ross G

A nice looking Horsehead photo Kevin.

Ross.

Thanks Ross.

Originally Posted by Rigel003

Nicely framed and processed. You're right about the background noise caused by the temperature though. Time to upgrade to a cooled CCD and you can be shooting at -30 throughout the year.

I'm waiting for the Chinese to bring out a line of budget CCD cameras like they do with their Synta telescopes. I may even go back to using the old Nikon D70s which is quite heat resistant. But then summer is usually always cloudy anyway. Astronomy is seasonal here in Mackay, as I guess in most places.

[weathermon (Mike)]

Great work Kevin! Yeah I'm hearing you mate.. really sucks with the thermal noise hey, I had to leave a 5 min break in between each 10 min sub the other night due to the noise (sensor was almost 30c!) I'm thinking of modding the K5 - removing the UV filter and putting a cold finger in it now that I have the K3 and using the K5 purely for astro.

[Andre27 (Andre)]

Nothing much you can do about the noise , but it is still a stunning image , well done.

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

Thanks Andre.

You will have to let me know how the mod goes with the K-5 Mike, should you proceed. I use the K-5 exclusively for astro. The K-x is for daylight shots now.