The Tarantula Nebula (NGC2070) in Dorado

[Octane (Humayun)]

Hi all,

Taken at Zane Hammond's Farmstay, Lake Bathurst.

Read and view here.

Comments and critique welcome.

Warning: file is approximately 1.1 MB in size.

Regards,
Humayun

[Lester]

Hi Octane, (sounds explosive)

very nice image. I see you have gone for the green looking nebula and didn't use a filter to achieve that. Still looks very nice. I will get use to it.

[astronut (John)]

That is an awesome image You're lucky Humayun, my club went to Zane's last week and it rained

[iceman (Mike)]

Wow, stunning!

[tornado33]

Beaut image. The green colour actually reflects strongly what the human eye can see if it could pick up colour at low light levels (thats why M42 apprears greenish)
Scott

[Striker (Tony)]

Lovely image Humayun.....everything looks spot on and the overall green bias still looks appealing...nice job.

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Hmm...?

Like the FOV, the stars (some colour in them too!) and the sky background buut I'm not too keen on the terquoise blue nebulosity...?

Can you do anything about that or is just inherent in the camera?

Mike

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Nice one Humayan. Love the realism. What did you use to guide? Or was it unguided

[astroron (Ron)]

It is one of the most natural images of the tarrantula nebula I have seen! a little darker and it would represent what the human eye sees through a good telescope. great image

[Octane (Humayun)]

Lester,

Originally Posted by Lester

Hi Octane, (sounds explosive)

Hehe.

Originally Posted by Lester

very nice image. I see you have gone for the green looking nebula and didn't use a filter to achieve that. Still looks very nice. I will get use to it.

The colour is pretty much what the sensor picked up (my camera isn't modified). It has been slightly enhanced in post-processing.

Overall, I'm quite pleased as this is the longest and deepest I've ever shot.

Thanks for the kind words.

Regards,
Humayun

[Octane (Humayun)]

Hi John,

Thank you for the compliment.

It was very cloudy up until 11 PM, or so, and then it just cleared up like magic. It was beautiful.

Zane has a magnificent property there, and is blessed with incredible skies.

I can see myself heading that way often.

Regards,
Humayun

Originally Posted by astronut

That is an awesome image You're lucky Humayun, my club went to Zane's last week and it rained

[Octane (Humayun)]

Mike,

Thanks, mate.

It's been a long time since the last image.

Regards,
Humayun

Originally Posted by iceman

Wow, stunning!

[Octane (Humayun)]

Scott,

Thanks, mate.

When I saw the LCD display after the first two-minute image, I was a little disappointed that I was just picking up green. But, I'm fine with that; I prefer the natural look. I was thinking about getting a Hutech-modified camera, but, I think I'll stick with the standard EOS-350D.

In the final IRIS stacked image, when I go to 1x view, I can see wisps of magenta in the middle.

Regards,
Humayun

Originally Posted by tornado33

Beaut image. The green colour actually reflects strongly what the human eye can see if it could pick up colour at low light levels (thats why M42 apprears greenish)
Scott

[Octane (Humayun)]

Hi Tony,

Thanks for the heads up, mate. I wasn't even using my own gear, as my telescope decided to die at around midnight. There is something wrong with my Autostar cable. Without the Autostar, the telescope doesn't function.

Louie was kind enough to let me use his equipment for the remainder of the night.

I'm desperate to purchase a G-11, and an apochromat now.

Regards,
Humayun

Originally Posted by Striker

Lovely image Humayun.....everything looks spot on and the overall green bias still looks appealing...nice job.

[Octane (Humayun)]

Hi Mike,

I think the problem lies in the camera. Mine isn't modified for the Hα wavelength.

I'm sure the colours can be enhanced in post-processing. I, however, like the natural look. The turquoise nebulosity in the final image is very close to the colour in the stacked image that IRIS presented me.

Thanks for the compliment and criticism, I appreciate it.

Regards,
Humayun

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Hmm...?

Like the FOV, the stars (some colour in them too!) and the sky background buut I'm not too keen on the terquoise blue nebulosity...?

Can you do anything about that or is just inherent in the camera?

Mike

[Octane (Humayun)]

Hi Paul,

I wasn't using my own equipment, as I just mentioned in my reply to Tony.

Louie was having some problems with his own guidescope, so we just went for two-minute unguided sub-images. They turned out pretty well, I think. I could have gone a little longer, but decided not to push it, as the wind was starting to pick up slightly, as well.

It's the longest and deepest I've gone. Very happy.

Originally Posted by [1ponders]

Nice one Humayan. Love the realism. What did you use to guide? Or was it unguided

[Octane (Humayun)]

Ron,

Thank you for the kind words.

Some people prefer the Hα-heavy images, I prefer the natural look. Although, having said that, a Canon EOS-20Da wouldn't go astray.

Regards,
Humayun

Originally Posted by astroron

It is one of the most natural images of the tarrantula nebula I have seen! a little darker and it would represent what the human eye sees through a good telescope. great image

[GTB_an_Owl (Geoff)]

Hi H
was about to gig you about your setup time when i saw the time you took the first pic - then i read down a bit further.
BUT - i still want to know how you find these people willing to stay up to the wee hours with you ? HE! HE!

great shot by the way

geoff

[davidpretorius]

you have absolutely floored me.

congratulations on a brilliant image.

[Astroman (Andrew Wall)]

nice shot Hummy, getting more proficient with your equipment I see, cant wait to start imaging with mine.