Real fine shot Mike good to see you are getting some lovely skies ,just think of us poor people left here in newcastle we may need a holiday down your way
AL
He he, I've gone from looking out my front door to see 30 000 cars a day to seeing a heard of grazing cows against a back drop of distant mountains (well hills) Ah sigh.....
He he, I've gone from looking out my front door to see 30 000 cars a day to seeing a heard of grazing cows against a back drop of distant mountains (well hills) Ah sigh.....
Considering this move myself. In talks with work to transfer out west. Should make for some nice skies and no more drudgy bus rides into the city every morning.
Great image Mike, you must be happy to be back in the game
It's interesting with that distortion of the halo at one end, I don't think there are any other galaxies nearby that could have influenced it.
Nice work, looking forward to the next one!
He he, I've gone from looking out my front door to see 30 000 cars a day to seeing a heard of grazing cows against a back drop of distant mountains (well hills) Ah sigh.....
Mike you had over 50000 vehicles per day as for the strongman title - always warranted especially with the weight of all those photons you will be bagging
Interesting look, I see what you mean by there is more out past the galaxy edge. The halo is quite interesting. If I had more time with the 12RC I would push to grab that, however time is short now and I am leaving for Cairns soon. Maybe next year. Other targets await.
Not sure about the cyan looking blue stars in your image. Yes very deep image and you seem to have captured some globulars (just like I did I think). Interesting about the Ha regions showing up better in your image than mine. Perhaps the way you pushed the saturation but no doubt hiding there.
Another month or so and it will be interesting to see the images you produce from this site. Having a dark sky site is such a joy. I just love staring out into the void from my place.
A Stupendous image of my favourite galaxy Mike
Love all the galaxies in the background
Enjoy your great Imaging and Observing site.
Look forward to more wonderful images from you.
Cheers
Apart from the clear dark sky, large aperture fast astrograph, very nice state of the art camera etc and a skilled operator you have nothing else going for you Mike!
So that is what NGC 253 really looks like. From my place among the light polluted skies of Melbourne the outer halo hides in the LP and murk.
The image is not to my taste. It has too much colour and detail and shows far too much really faint stuff.
I bet you cannot wait to get a permanent setup. I can get imaging within about five minutes of the clouds clearing. The limiting time is the five minute cool down of the FLI PL16803.
It would be very interesting to see what you could show of the faint stuff with even more data.
Love the depth & colour you've achieved there Mike! Lovely shot! Bit of noise never hurt anyone
Cheers, Marcus
Thanks Marcus, as I said I made the decision to go for the limit here so the aesthetics suffered a tad but in the end and as Rolf has demonstrated so beautifully, it is not always about getting a perfect looking image but rather about revealing stuff not usually seen. With a fast reasonable size scope under dark skies why not push the limits, it's so much fun, I can't find another amateur image that reveals the halo quite as well while showing that level of detail in the galaxy (Marco Lorenzis effort last year is pretty good though) and none that show the galactic cirrus in the field, particularly not in a single nights imaging effort, so to me that was the key here, it was like a test really
Quote:
Originally Posted by SkyViking
Great image Mike, you must be happy to be back in the game
It's interesting with that distortion of the halo at one end, I don't think there are any other galaxies nearby that could have influenced it.
Nice work, looking forward to the next one!
Thanks Rolf
Yes no idea what caused that extension perhaps its just a faint arm..?
Quote:
Originally Posted by h0ughy
Mike you had over 50000 vehicles per day as for the strongman title - always warranted especially with the weight of all those photons you will be bagging
He he Newcastle?...Newcastle who? Now it's time
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Haese
Interesting look, I see what you mean by there is more out past the galaxy edge. The halo is quite interesting. If I had more time with the 12RC I would push to grab that, however time is short now and I am leaving for Cairns soon. Maybe next year. Other targets await.
Not sure about the cyan looking blue stars in your image. Yes very deep image and you seem to have captured some globulars (just like I did I think). Interesting about the Ha regions showing up better in your image than mine. Perhaps the way you pushed the saturation but no doubt hiding there.
Another month or so and it will be interesting to see the images you produce from this site. Having a dark sky site is such a joy. I just love staring out into the void from my place.
Cheers Paul
I used 30min of Ha data to enhance the HII
Yes there are some corker areas in the summer milky way that will suit the AG's FOV and speed nicely, already have a few in mind
Quote:
Originally Posted by Leonardo70
Congrats Mike ... i'm so happy to see this stunning first light.
All the best,
Leo
Grazie Mille tanti baci
Quote:
Originally Posted by astroron
A Stupendous image of my favourite galaxy Mike
Love all the galaxies in the background
Enjoy your great Imaging and Observing site.
Look forward to more wonderful images from you.
Cheers
Thanks mate, it has so far been a fabulous reawakening
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Crawford
Congrats Mike! I am very happy for you and your first light is a winner!
Thanks Ken, once I have my observatory set up I will do longer exposures so, like you are able to achieve, the images can be both deep and aesthetic
Woowaa Mike, I can "see" your happiness here A very impressive image, I am very happy you have eventually chances to push the edge of your setup and rise the bar on the objects you are imaging Please keeps the imaging flow coming next weeks/months, no more excuses now not to produce outstanding results <J>
Woowaa Mike, I can "see" your happiness here A very impressive image, I am very happy you have eventually chances to push the edge of your setup and rise the bar on the objects you are imaging Please keeps the imaging flow coming next weeks/months, no more excuses now not to produce outstanding results <J>
Ciao
Marco
Thanks Marco, yes this is only the tip of the above water part of the iceberg really, while I don't have to do really long exposures to get a reasonable image, once I do up the imaging time things are looking up I guess
Yeh, I guess I am pretty happy at the moment but after 5 years battling rubbish conditions and back breaking setup and pull downs, I deserve a break
Good luck with your new location and your permamnent dome. I'm looking forward to some outstanding and unique photos from you.
However, to us "nomad" astrophotographers who live in polluted cities and drag kilos of equipment to the bush every few months in the hope of a dark night, you have been an inspiration.
Seeing the great photos you have produced from your mobile setups over the last few years has given us the hope of what is possible.
Good luck with your new location and your permamnent dome. I'm looking forward to some outstanding and unique photos from you.
However, to us "nomad" astrophotographers who live in polluted cities and drag kilos of equipment to the bush every few months in the hope of a dark night, you have been an inspiration.
Seeing the great photos you have produced from your mobile setups over the last few years has given us the hope of what is possible.
Thanks.
Ross.
Wow, nice words Ross, glad to hear that.
While I will have the kit under a dome in due course and that dome will be in my own backyard, I am resisting the automation road....for now. Of course as you say I have done my lugging apprenticeship so I guess I could treat myself....
Just put together a selection of 100% crops of some distant galaxies and galaxy clusters located in the depths around NGC 253. I can't imagine how far away that very faint cluster in the bottom middle crop must be...? anyone got Simbad or other software that could identify it..? I have attached a location for it in my image...of course while it looks extra-galactic in nature to me, it could just be a very faint asterism of Milky Way stars too...be nice to confirm
Mike
Enjoy the observatory. I know that when I enter mine I have a great sense of satisfaction and control. It's all in my hands and I love the sense that I know where all things are and I can attempt something new. It's a pity it's in a light polluted site for me but it cuts out wind, some light from the neighbors and I just love it. You will never go back to being without it.
Really pleased for you Mike.
Allan
Bit of noise never hurt anyone 
as for the strongman title - always warranted especially with the weight of all those photons you will be bagging
.... oh well them's the breaks I guess 
time 
