M104 The Sombrero Galaxy - enhanced stellar stream

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by Ryderscope

Breathtaking!! I particularly like the identification of the fainter objects to check out such as the dusty outer regions and that "ultra faint star stream loop". Very clever and a great way to evaluate just how good this image is and to use as a benchmark for others

Oh ya Rod, thanks so much mate, after 40 years of imaging the sky above and the sixth time I have imaged M104 over that time, the progression and improvement in image quality is really quite staggering I wanted to keep that ultra faint outer star stream loop acurately proportional in brightness compared to the rest of the galaxy and that ginormous halo ..but I think some may be struggling to see it on various devices.. So I think I will post a stretched negative version, juuuust in case there are some who think I am seeing things, ooor a bit "loopy"

Mike

[Mickoid (Michael)]

This is a wonderful rendition of M104, especially from a land based site. Can you imagine how UNREAL it would have looked if you applied some Blur Exterminator!

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

This is a wonderful rendition of M104, especially from a land based site.

Thanks so much Michael, yeah, would definitely love a space based site

Can you imagine how UNREAL it would have looked if you applied some Blur Exterminator!

..probably should give it a crack some time, from at least a few images I have seen, its use can enhance without being obvious that it was used or impart that slightly fake look, if one uses it judiciously

Mike

[Retrograde (Pete)]

Awesome image there Mike - you've brought out so much exquisite detail in those dust lanes
Eagleview is clearly delivering great seeing for you.

[willik (Willik)]

What a beauty

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by Retrograde

Awesome image there Mike - you've brought out so much exquisite detail in those dust lanes
Eagleview is clearly delivering great seeing for you.

Originally Posted by willik

What a beauty

Thanks a lot guys and yes it certainly is Pete, if this El Nino accelerates, as is expected, I am hopeful it may get even better

Mike

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

For those of you struggling to make it out in the natural LRGB version (it has an extremely low surface brightness) that I processed to respect the comparative dynamic range, I have added a less respectful enhanced/stretched version, to better reveal the Malin Stellar Stream Interesting that it appears slightly square ended rather than a smooth curve and apart from it being even fainter, I needed just a little more space at the top left to make the entire orbiting stream (it encircles the entire galaxy!) more obvious, doh!

4.2m William Herschel telescope image attached (2 hr exposure in sub arc sec seeing at La Palma)

The maximum brightness at any point of this stream has been measured at 26.7mag/squ arc sec

Detailed paper on it HERE

Mike

[alpal]

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

For those of you struggling to make it out in the natural LRGB version (it has an extremely low surface brightness) that I processed to respect the comparative dynamic range, I have added a less respectful enhanced/stretched version, to better reveal the Malin Stellar Stream Interesting that it appears slightly square ended rather than a smooth curve and apart from it being even fainter, I needed just a little more space at the top left to make the entire orbiting stream (it encircles the entire galaxy!) more obvious, doh!

4.2m William Herschel telescope image attached (2 hr exposure in sub arc sec seeing at La Palma)

Detailed paper on it HERE

Mike

You're correct Mike -
it's not IFN - Integrated flux nebula -
there is a picture here of the Malin Stellar Stream but
its flipped horizontally compared to yours.
https://www.reddit.com/r/space/comme...ield_image_of/


cheers
Allan

[Dave882 (David)]

Incredible Mike! That gives a bit more prominence to what is an extraordinarily faint feature. Imagine if you keen imaging for another 40yrs what you’ll be able to accomplish!!

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by alpal

You're correct Mike -
it's not IFN - Integrated flux nebula -
there is a picture here of the Malin Stellar Stream but
its flipped horizontally compared to yours.
https://www.reddit.com/r/space/comme...ield_image_of/


cheers
Allan

Yes, familiar with that image, it doesn't seem to portray the loop as flat/slightly square, like both my data and the WHT 4.2m data clearly does..? So not sure what is going on there?..Perhaps processing choices? (or my eyes? )

Mike

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by Dave882

Incredible Mike! That gives a bit more prominence to what is an extraordinarily faint feature. Imagine if you keen imaging for another 40yrs what you’ll be able to accomplish!!

...I'll be 96...

Mike

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by alpal

Hi Mike,
with the El Niño in Australia starting to happen soon it will
give you even better seeing conditions.
As you have the highest observatory in Australia you
might get better than 1 arc second seeing.
Chart32 also has adaptive optics and is a multi million dollar scope.
You would have to go an order of magnitude greater in expense
to take better pics - maybe an RC with adaptive optics?
It's not worth it as sooner or later you'll get 1 arc second seeing
which might continue on good nights for years.
Anyway - you've got to be happy with what you've got now -
the results are amazing.


cheers
Allan

Hey Al, this is why Chart32 get such incredibly detailed images!..and without AO or BlurEx (they just don't need'em!)

This is a raw Fits sub, ie no decon, no BlurEX no sharpening! FWHM = 0.681 or more than twice as good as Eagleviews best! ..can only imagine

A tile from a presentation announcing the new telescope and its capabilities



Mike

[alpal]

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Hey Al, this is why Chart32 get such incredibly detailed images!..and without AO or BlurEx (they just don't need'em!)

This is a raw Fits sub, ie no decon, no BlurEX no sharpening! FWHM = 0.681 or more than twice as good as Eagleviews best! ..can only imagine

A tile from a presentation announcing the new telescope and its capabilities



Mike

Thanks Mike,
that's a great pdf download.
The picture you have posted of FWHM is from page 21.
A FWHM of 0.681 arc seconds seeing can only dreamed of here in Australia.
I have a feeling that your Image Scale of 0.84"/pix may not allow
you to obtain a correct measurement of FWHM if the seeing
gets below a true 1 arc second FWHM due to the
Nyquist Sampling Theorem.
The only alternative is to use that high quality 3" 2X Barlow
that was offered to you but your images would be 1/4 times fainter.

The presentation raises more questions that it answers:
I don't see any mention of Adaptive Optics -
maybe they don't use that?
Also:
On page 17 they are using something called MLPT tracking which
allows unguided tracking up to 20 minutes -
yet on page 14 they are using a Lodestar at 49mm off axis.
Mere mortals like me use a Lodestar and PHD2 guiding.

So where is a vacuum that Australian and NZ amateur astronomers can fill?
Maybe the pics from Rolf Olsen can guide us?
Extreme deep fields:
https://www.rolfolsenastrophotograph...me-Deep-Field/


cheers
Allan

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by alpal

I don't see any mention of Adaptive Optics -
maybe they don't use that?

cheers
Allan

No they don't, just great optics, great autoguiding in great seeing = ground based Nirvana

Mike

[alpal]

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

No they don't, just great optics, great autoguiding in great seeing = ground based Nirvana

Mike

Hi Mike,
I hope other people get to put their telescope systems at your new site.
Imagine a 20” RC there with Adaptive Optics?


cheers
Allan

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by alpal

Hi Mike,

Imagine a 20” RC there with Adaptive Optics?

...imagined

Mike

[alpal]

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

...imagined

Mike

Or an OFFICINA STELLARE RiFAST 500mm aperture F/3.8 85Kg

Much faster than an RC.

cheers
Allan

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by alpal

Or an OFFICINA STELLARE RiFAST 500mm aperture F/3.8 85Kg

Much faster than an RC.

cheers
Allan

.....

Mike

[alpal]

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

.....

Mike

Hi Mike,

yes - there are some amazing fast scopes available these days
but they cost eye popping prices.


cheers
Allan

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by alpal

Hi Mike,

yes - there are some amazing fast scopes available these days
but they cost eye popping prices.


cheers
Allan

I think a bigger scope will need to come courtesy of a rich benefactor...any takers..? ...anyone?

Mike