NGC 6357 The Lobster Nebula

[marc4darkskies (Marcus)]

Verrrry nice Mike! My favorite is the "main nebula" crop - perfect framing and you've processed the detail & colour nicely. Yeah, I like & appreciate the Ha but with me it's always going to be a case of show me the colour!!

Is the Lobster a "boring" subject? Well, when I imaged the Running Chicken I thought it was going to be monotone and boring but with some processing effort it turned out anything but. I now think any subject, properly processed and framed to highlight its particluar nuances will be quite striking and the Lobster you've done here is no exception. Good one!

Cheers, Marcus

[renormalised (Carl)]

Like the Ha version the best, but the colour versions are good as well

Well done

[renormalised (Carl)]

Oh...and I like my lobster with mournay sauce, and some nicely blanched veg' as well

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Cheers everyone for looking and your feedback.

Originally Posted by SkyViking

Another fabulous image Mike, there's a great amount of detail in there! I think I can see a tiny upside down 'pillar of creation' in the centre of the crop. And the Ha version is just stunning. Thanks for sharing

I've turned it around now, so to me it is the Lobsters middle finger bit like the Fickle Finger in Eta....could be a cows teet...or a rubber glove getting ready for a prostate examination..or...?

Originally Posted by RobF

Wonderful work Mike. Its sort of "all the same pink" throughout this neb, so agreed the Ha really is a pleasure to take in. Sublime.....

Just re oriented the whole bunch and added another crop of the main lobster Rolf, if you care to have a gander. As Marcus says, there are little nuiances there. The Ha is often very dramatic.

Originally Posted by Paul Haese

Love the Ha version but my favourite is the medium close up. Detail, colour and globules.

Cheers Paul...wonder if Dave would'a liked this one?

Originally Posted by marc4darkskies

Verrrry nice Mike! My favorite is the "main nebula" crop - perfect framing and you've processed the detail & colour nicely. Yeah, I like & appreciate the Ha but with me it's always going to be a case of show me the colour!!

Is the Lobster a "boring" subject? Well, when I imaged the Running Chicken I thought it was going to be monotone and boring but with some processing effort it turned out anything but. I now think any subject, properly processed and framed to highlight its particluar nuances will be quite striking and the Lobster you've done here is no exception. Good one!

Cheers, Marcus

Thanks Marcus

Yes I knew this nebula wasn't the greatest as far as colour variation goes but I also new it had some amazing filamentary detail ...luckily I got a Leo Trio-like night of good seeing and two clear nights so I could give it a proper go

Mike

[Peter Ward]

Originally Posted by gregbradley

....2 out of the previous 7 yearly winners of the Malin Award used high end gear (CCD cameras etc)....

True, but it depends on what you are trying to capture.... Sure, Eddie- T won in 2005 with a SBIG ST10, Martin Pugh in 2008 with SBIG STL11000.

Yet while the overall award has gone here and there in so far as equipment is concerned, the deep sky has been dominated by CCD users to date.

BTW nice shot Mike.... I also see you are in the running again at RGO this year

[Bassnut (Fred)]

Excellent in every respect Mike, quite dramatic and a good 3D effect. Exquisite detail too.

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by Peter Ward

BTW nice shot Mike.... I also see you are in the running again at RGO this year

Yes I am...but actually..on this topic, what's with three of your five entries ie The Sun, Cen A and M104..? They are all in clear contravention of the conditions of entry ie already been previously published in print and/or taken before 16 August 2008...?

Sorry but I am a just bit bemused

Mike

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by Bassnut

Excellent in every respect Mike, quite dramatic and a good 3D effect. Exquisite detail too.

Thanks Fred, very happy that you liked it..given it's prodigious field size and all

Mike

[Peter Ward]

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Yes I am...but actually..on this topic, what's with three of your five entries ie The Sun, Cen A and M104..? They are all in clear contravention of the conditions of entry ie already been previously published in print and/or taken before 16 August 2008...?

Sorry but I am a just bit bemused

Mike

I was under the impression the rules were relaxed this year, aka:

Entrants to the three main categories may submit up to five photos per month to the Astronomy Photographer of the Year Flickr group and five photos in total to the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. By adding a photo to the group on Flickr you confirm to the Royal Observatory Greenwich that it:

• was taken and processed by you
• is consistent with the Flickr Community Guidelines
• is your original work
• does not infringe the copyright or any other rights of any third party
• does not contain any obscene or defamatory content or material

Hence I didn't see a problem....are there more rules elsewhere? As I couldn't find them.

P.S.
Opps! I just found this bit way down in their blurb:

Photos that have already been previously published or submitted to a print publication, or that have won a prize in a major competition (one receiving more than 500 photos) are not eligible. Photos taken more than two years before the competition closing date are also not eligible (i.e. taken before 16 July 2008).

Doh! Of course I'll withdraw any offending entries

In any event, the photo's used in the current RGO exhibition are not so constrained

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Ah well, easy oversight