A while between posts. Rather busy with work and have not been in the country much. That said, there's always been opportunities for imaging, whether it be with my own gear or on rental kit. Anyway, here is an image produced from the latter. I'm progressively getting into more mosaic work which I'm finding challenging and different. The ability to display a usual target in a different light continues to be the main catalyst for reinvention. Will be certain to produce a single panel image sometime soon to ensure I can still do it...
Certainly had some fun with this, more so in the planning to find suitable guide stars. Hard to beat a mosaic providing a wide field and resolution to boot. This one is six panel with minimalistic data I should add. Just 20mins per RGB channel across each panel. So in total around 6hrs...which is basically ridiculous for this type of work. One could easily expect a far great quantity of data. I lend this to the sensitivity of the Apogee U42 camera coupled to 24" of aperture. With broadband filters, this set up will bloom quick so sucking down photons giving a good signal to noise isn't an issue. I wouldn't have tried this project on any other instrument given the cost of mega data on rental scopes. However, having not a lot of data to play with presented a few issues. Overall the data sets very good in quality. I set up the runs while the object crossed the meridian however atmospheric seeing between the panels differed. Not too much, but was noticeable. To compensate I applied varying intensities of deconvolution in an attempt to reduce the effect. I think it worked ok, but its still not ideal. Two other key items I should add that come to mind due to the lack of data. Firstly, I used a synthetic luminance (data reject and sum combine the r,g,b subs) to reduce the quantity of noise. In addition, to make the HII regions pop I stitched and stretch the red channel data to improve the contrast. No where near as good as collecting Ha data, but seems to have worked ok. No much else to add other than the usual softlight colour boost routine and selecting sharpening. Noise still present, but I'll consider the project complete for now. In fact, I have torn enough hair out for this image already trying to get the panels seamless in transition.
I've attached the mosaic plan utilised for reference (please note its upside down) when comparing it to the image. The present image at full size is has been reduced to make it web friendly.
Good to see you're up to your usual self too Jase ... love the "pleased to present" bit ta da! tee he
Great image mate...but then again it "is" a 24" fully automated professional observatory scope ...very nice processing job though, I must say, well done
Round of applause for you
Mike
ED Just looked at the big version and man there is some detail in there ...ok I'll concede.. that scope is better than my beloved Starfire
Last edited by strongmanmike; 18-11-2010 at 11:13 PM.
Sorry....where are the clouds in this image??!! ....and the rain for that matter??
Another addition to the cool wall is just not acceptable at all.
Way too cool
Cheers Peter. Only rains star photons in Rodeo, New Mexico. They got out of the monsoons a couple of months ago. Clear dark skies most nights now. Agree, the same can't be said for here though. I'm desperately trying to finish off another project.
Quote:
Originally Posted by marc4darkskies
Fantastic Jase - full res is magical! Noise appears under control to me!
Cheers, Marcus
Thanks Marcus. The full res is good to swim around. The noise is a fine line as there isn't a considerable dynamic range between the background and faint extensions of the spiral arms. A few masks assisted...bit rusty on photoshop I should add.
Quote:
Originally Posted by h0ughy
well this is something to aspire to one day - love it
Thanks Houghy. Its all in the planning as opposed the execution with mosaics. The processing is rather methodical. What you do to one panel...make sure you do it to the others.
Quote:
Originally Posted by strongmanmike
Good to see you're up to your usual self too Jase ... love the "pleased to present" bit ta da! tee he
Great image mate...but then again it "is" a 24" fully automated professional observatory scope ...very nice processing job though, I must say, well done
Round of applause for you
Mike
Darn right Mike - no point lowering the bar
Quote:
...but then again it "is" a 24" fully automated professional observatory scope
Thats right. I just told the scope to point to M33, it took a photo in which I saved as a jpeg and uploaded to my site. The rest I just made up to fill in time.
Amazing resolution and a nightmare to process and match up but your efforts are appreciated as the result is just stunning - I can almost see the super massive black hole at the centre.
Thats right. I just told the scope to point to M33, it took a photo in which I saved as a jpeg and uploaded to my site. The rest I just made up to fill in time.
See? I knew it, I just knew it..while it did its thing you just... ..oh yeh then maybe a little bit of and hey presto..a staggeringly detailed image of a spiral galaxy
Magnificent Jase, it just sparkles. This is something else. I have seen a lot of lovely renditions of this Galaxy but this just jumps off the page like Hubbles images do.
Nice to see you presenting some work, it's been a while by my reckoning. Some of the Ha detail is stunning, one of the areas looks like the Tarantula Neb only in a galaxy far far away
I've said it before and I will say it again, I think the dial up a scope idea is great, it gives everyone the chance to get some stunning data which otherwise is cost prohibitive..... I'd hate to think what a 24 inch kit would cost; and it's a leveler for all, not just those who have the ability to throw 15000 dollars at a new camera or scope.
Lets see more of it.
Amazing resolution and a nightmare to process and match up but your efforts are appreciated as the result is just stunning - I can almost see the super massive black hole at the centre.
Stormy Brisbane, John.
Cheers John. I'm sure you've had a crack at this one while in the northern hemisphere. Difficult to get right from a focal length perspective. Wide field images take in the large expanse of the galaxy but lack resolution. A mosaic seems to be a good option. Thanks again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by strongmanmike
See? I knew it, I just knew it..while it did its thing you just... ..oh yeh then maybe a little bit of and hey presto..a staggeringly detailed image of a spiral galaxy
You're a gullible one Mike. I forgot to mention it was "Made in China" too (assembled in Australia though).
Quote:
Originally Posted by atalas
Spectacular Jase! the Ha objects remind me of the ones in the LMC and a wonderful Lab color boost! wonderful work.
Cheers Louie. Indeed the HII knots add an interesting twist. No lab colour boost, not this time anyway. Heavily colour saturated and DDP stretch image blended as softlight is my usual tactic in punch up the colour. Need to DDP stretch the data hard however as softlight is darkening blend mode. I experimented with warming filters in this image, but the difference were very subtle. Thanks for your comment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hagar
Magnificent Jase, it just sparkles. This is something else. I have seen a lot of lovely renditions of this Galaxy but this just jumps off the page like Hubbles images do.
Pleased you liked it Doug. The mosaic resolution gives it the spark, in particular with the blue star burst regions. Too some effort, but what you put in is what you get out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alchemy
Nice to see you presenting some work, it's been a while by my reckoning. Some of the Ha detail is stunning, one of the areas looks like the Tarantula Neb only in a galaxy far far away
I've said it before and I will say it again, I think the dial up a scope idea is great, it gives everyone the chance to get some stunning data which otherwise is cost prohibitive..... I'd hate to think what a 24 inch kit would cost; and it's a leveler for all, not just those who have the ability to throw 15000 dollars at a new camera or scope.
Lets see more of it.
Clive
Good to hear from you too Clive. Has been a while. I have a few other projects on the go, so you should see a little more in time (once the images are cooked). You're spot on - there is nothing stopping anyone else logging on to the 24" RC to produce an image of their choice. Money will stop a few (ironically money stops people buying their own high end gear). I acknowledge it isn't for everyone and it helps to know what you're doing in particular with mosaic work. I continue to use rental scopes as I find it provides me with the flexibility to select an instrument for a specific target to achieve the goal I'm after. Still enjoy using my own gear, which is also fully automated (like a rental scope). In both instances collecting data becomes a mundane activity due to the level of automation. Point being is this allows the imager to focus on other activities such as the planning and/or processing of data - this is where the fun and challenge is at! Thanks for your comment. Hope to see you pump out a few images soon too.
Only 60min per panel - fantastic (oh for aperture and optics) and the processing is excellent.
It makes the spiral arm leading edge HII regions absolutely obvious - a good chance to explain galaxy structure and development to people - the leading edge of each arm smacking into the interstellar medium - it's there and obvious.
Now I understand you mosaic comment mate - outstanding.
... love the "pleased to present" bit ta da! tee he 
...ok I'll concede.. that scope is better than my beloved Starfire 
..oh yeh then maybe a little bit of 
and hey presto..a staggeringly detailed image of a spiral galaxy 
...is it red? 
Automated by Rickshaw 
