The Witch Head Nebula

strongmanmike (Michael) · #1 07-10-2008, 02:57 AM

This is the second image I did from Wiruna last weekend and the first time I have imaged this beautiful nebula in Orion. The Witch Head Nebula is located very close to Rigel, the bright star in Orion.

Unfortunately the atrocious conditions of high wind and very poor seeing affected the image a bit in fact to be honest I can't believe it came out this well really..?

Like the last NGC 6744 Pavo Galaxy image, no gradient removal was necessary in this image either - one of the benifits of a true dark sky

LRGB = 60 60 60 60min

Really need a bit more exposure but seriously, I was freekin out because the wind was so bludy strong!!! and the seeing was absolute crapola too, I am amazed that I even got an image out of the data, the NJP mount on the pedistal pier really is a beauty! There are actually a few faint background galaxies in there amazing for a region full of obscuring dust. I can only imagine what could have been had the conditions been more favourable???........

Large and best view (4.5meg)
http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike20...69333/original

Small view for those with less patience (1.4 meg)
http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike20...69279/original

Hope you like it

Mike

Garyh · #2 07-10-2008, 08:03 AM

Woaha! that`s a beauty Mike, Don`t think I have seen such a closeup!
Was it easy to frame being so faint? I remember doing it some time back with the TV and I couldn`t even see it on a sub with the DSLR!
cheers Gary

leon · #3 07-10-2008, 08:34 AM

Yes I have to agree, a great effort, and very well captured.

leon

Hagar (Doug) · #4 07-10-2008, 09:52 AM

Lovely image with so much nebula visible. So faint a nebula would be a real pain to capture or at least process with out blowing the stars away and lifting the grain in the image. The fine detail stands out so well considering the conditions you were in. Must be very dark up there. I hope Lostock is similar.

winensky · #5 07-10-2008, 12:18 PM

Definately a dark sky object. You must have avery good knowledge of the star field to have framed it so well. A real beauty.

Matty P (Matt) · #6 07-10-2008, 02:12 PM

WOW!! Once again a fine image Mike.

You have done an amazing job of capturing this illusive nebula.

I just spent a couple of minutes viewing the Hi-Res version. Stunning!

Thanks for sharing.

strongmanmike (Michael) · #7 07-10-2008, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garyh

Woaha! that`s a beauty Mike, Don`t think I have seen such a closeup!
Was it easy to frame being so faint? I remember doing it some time back with the TV and I couldn`t even see it on a sub with the DSLR!
cheers Gary

Thanks Gary, glad you liked it. I guess that is teh difference between DSLR's and CCD's I just binned my pixels 3X3 for the framing and used 10sec exposures and it showed up nicely, noisy but I could see it all

Quote:

Originally Posted by leon

Yes I have to agree, a great effort, and very well captured.

leon

Thanks Leon, I was very surprised it came out even this well, had the conditions been more acceptable it would have been quite a fine structured vista I recon..? Somehow a few background galaxies still showed up though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hagar

Lovely image with so much nebula visible. So faint a nebula would be a real pain to capture or at least process with out blowing the stars away and lifting the grain in the image. The fine detail stands out so well considering the conditions you were in. Must be very dark up there. I hope Lostock is similar.

Actually this was one of my easier processing efforts Doug

the faintness helps in not blowing out any bright bits in the nebula..because there are3n't any

and the stars in the field aren't bright either. The seeing and wind would have affected the fine resolution for sure so I would love to do it again in better conditions, I recon the difference would be pretty obvious.

Quote:

Originally Posted by winensky

Definately a dark sky object. You must have avery good knowledge of the star field to have framed it so well. A real beauty.

Oh I know roughly where it is Matt but the goto, after aligning on Rigel, put her nose right in the middle of the frame really. I just binned the framing shots so she showed up quite ok, I only kept imaging out of imaging addiction and withdrawals really but I'm glad I persevered, as an object it looks quite nice I think, even in amazingly bad conditions?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matty P

WOW!! Once again a fine image Mike.

You have done an amazing job of capturing this illusive nebula.

I just spent a couple of minutes viewing the Hi-Res version. Stunning!

Thanks for sharing.

You are welcome Matt

it's a nice vista huh? and a bit different really, the Witchhead isn't imaged up close like this often, I was pretty pleased that I could fit her whole face in

Mike

richardo (Rich) · #8 07-10-2008, 06:56 PM

Jeezzzz, so little time, such an image.
By the sounds of the conditions it's a wonder you got anything half as good as this.! But then again you do have that taka mount, she's a rock!

I agree with Gaz, can't say I ever seen the Witchy this close.
Really enjoyed cruising the 4.7mb image with all its tiny stars.
The reflection nebulosity just sets em off.

Muy excellente Migel

All the best
Rich

gregbradley · #9 07-10-2008, 07:38 PM

I love it.

Another hot image.

Was this Friday night?

I was away for 5 nights and only got Thurs night for 2/3rds and last night for about 2 hours. The other nights either rained or threatened to rain. Last night was also windy as well.

I started to image this last night but clouds moved in after a totally clear sky. I managed to get one or two downloads to frame it only.

Oh well.

Greg.

strongmanmike (Michael) · #10 07-10-2008, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richardo

Jeezzzz, so little time, such an image.
By the sounds of the conditions it's a wonder you got anything half as good as this.! But then again you do have that taka mount, she's a rock!

I agree with Gaz, can't say I ever seen the Witchy this close.
Really enjoyed cruising the 4.7mb image with all its tiny stars.
The reflection nebulosity just sets em off.

Muy excellente Migel

All the best
Rich

G'day Richi pichi

I dunno, I think some might think I'm making up some sob story or excuse or something to gather some strange praise out of sypathy or something

but seriously, my focus star was shooting all over the focus screen on the lappie and it was ballooning in and out like a pumping heart only more irregularly, kinda like this guys head and eyes do:

I only kept going because it was clear and I had driven some 300km and 4 hours and setup took me an hour and a half and I wasn't bluddy going anywhere!

Like you say, I had quiet confidence in the Tak mount and my sensational pedestal pier as far as not actually falling over in the wind

but fairdinkum mate, it was very scary a few times ..I kept shaking my head when each sub came down with round stars. I only think they came out round becasue the stars were being blown in all directions by the wind so averaged to a circle

, this will of course have smeared the detail but I have to say the NJP and the pedestal must have held better than many mounts would have, so I am very lucky there.

If I get the chance to re image this I will and hopefully in better conditions there will be a big difference for sure.

Thanks and glad you liked the image anyway

Mike

strongmanmike (Michael) · #11 07-10-2008, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregbradley

I love it.

Another hot image.

Was this Friday night?

I was away for 5 nights and only got Thurs night for 2/3rds and last night for about 2 hours. The other nights either rained or threatened to rain. Last night was also windy as well.

I started to image this last night but clouds moved in after a totally clear sky. I managed to get one or two downloads to frame it only.

Oh well.

Greg.

Thanks Greg

No this was imaged "last" weekend, Sat morning and again Sun morning not the long weekend just gone.

With calm steady skies the Starfire would make a cracker of this region I am sure

....err? I guess the crappy BRC with your tiny chip might do an O-K job too ..?

Mike

gregbradley · #12 07-10-2008, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Thanks Greg

No this was imaged "last" weekend, Sat morning and again Sun morning not the long weekend just gone.

With calm steady skies the Starfire would make a cracker of this region I am sure

....err? I guess the crappy BRC with your tiny chip might do an O-K job too ..?

Mike

You know no matter what scopes I use I always love a top refractor image.
They are hard to beat. Sometimes it comes down to practicalities like time
and F ratio. But refractors seem to capture the object in a beautiful way.

If we could get a practical and affordable APO of 250mm aperture and fast F ratio then yeah it would be unbeatable.

On Astromart, a guy has listed a 200m TEC fluorite triplet for US$30,000 - wow! They are no longer made and 180mm is the largest Yuri now makes.
He owes me a 180mm. Perhaps soon, I was promised end of Sept - patience!

Greg.

gregbradley · #13 07-10-2008, 07:50 PM

I was also planning to image this whole area with the FSQ and reducer in a mega mosaic but that rain front put a stop to that!

Greg.

Martin Pugh · #14 07-10-2008, 08:02 PM

Nicely done Mike...I guess a 2 frame mosaic would have been just right judging by the field of view......then again, that weather you speak of clearly would not have allowed that.

cheers
Martin

gregbradley · #15 07-10-2008, 08:53 PM

Hey Mike,

Don't you get worried with heavy wind that your objective lens
gets pasted with dust?

Or was the scope facing away from the wind? Either way it
can be a bit risky.

Greg.

Octane (Humayun) · #16 07-10-2008, 11:19 PM

Mike,

That is so beautiful!

When I imaged this object, using a 300mm lens, it came out all brown.

I will have to try again one day to try and get it in blue.

Regards,
Humayun

strongmanmike (Michael) · #17 07-10-2008, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martin Pugh

Nicely done Mike...I guess a 2 frame mosaic would have been just right judging by the field of view......then again, that weather you speak of clearly would not have allowed that.

cheers
Martin

Cheers Martin baby

A two frame mozaic huh? well I did think about it... but unfortunately we mere mortals with fully portable rigs and only a couple a days a month to do anything in can't really bank on the time for that

here is my fully automated observatory that makes 40hr mozaics so easy to capture

http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/wiruna_trips

Mike

strongmanmike (Michael) · #18 07-10-2008, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregbradley

Hey Mike,

Don't you get worried with heavy wind that your objective lens
gets pasted with dust?

Or was the scope facing away from the wind? Either way it
can be a bit risky.

Greg.

You are right I guess but

...I just didn't care, it was clear so I just wanted to take an image...

Mike

RB (Andrew) · #19 07-10-2008, 11:32 PM

One of my favourite nebs and once again you've done a marvelous job with it Mike, despite the conditions.
Gotta love that mount too, huh, legendary.

strongmanmike (Michael) · #20 07-10-2008, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Octane

Mike,

That is so beautiful!

When I imaged this object, using a 300mm lens, it came out all brown.

I will have to try again one day to try and get it in blue.

Regards,
Humayun

So glad you enjoyed it Humi, like Martin said, a two frame mozaic and with still calm skies then a cracker of an image would have resulted I think..?

The near perfect conditions I had at Wiruna over the three days back in May when I took my ultra deep Cen A image would have been great...me thinks that may have been a bit of a fluke for Wiruna?

Mike