With the weather starting heading towards winter one never really knows how many nights will be available for imaging. Over a couple of nights in the last week I have picked up some integration time on the Sombrero Galaxy (M104). It has been on my imaging list for many, many years. I took a single sub of it three years ago but never got the chance to go further with the image. With any luck I can pick up another 5-7 hours next week to beat down the noise in the back ground (the stuff I can see on my monitor). Not to mention the effect that high cloud had on my blue channel.
Yes that is excellent. The weather pattern is expected to go into El Nino mid June. That means drier, warmer winter. Hopefully that translates into more clearer nights.
Yes that is excellent. The weather pattern is expected to go into El Nino mid June. That means drier, warmer winter. Hopefully that translates into more clearer nights.
Greg.
Hmmm, I am less inclined to think the Bureau can predict weather even 3 days ahead of time; much less several months. Trends might appear to indicate El Nino but we are heading into a wet winter already. So far this month we have had nearly 60mm and the average for April is around 58mm. So who knows. I suspect El Nino has a greater impact your side of the continent than in the centre where we are. The Indian Ocean dipole is more relevant to us I think. In any event I am taking what I can at present.
Quote:
Originally Posted by marc4darkskies
Very nice Paul - detail looks good and stars are pretty round. Are you still cropping or is this the full frame?
Don't just apply more data to noise suppression though. This galaxy has a large halo worth teasing out.
Cheers, Marcus
Thanks Marcus. Since sorting out my PEC, the guiding has produced round stars consistently. I am doing some star reduction as most do these days and this can affect the roundness of the stars if the guiding slips for a bit with high cloud etc.
This is a crop but at 100% resolution. The full res image is huge and is in portrait due to guide star location, as you would know.
I had not considered the outer halo and that is just another reason to press onwards. I will have to read up on it. Thanks for the tip.
Thanks for that Barry. Yes the halo is well evident in that image. Such an awesome image.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Placidus
Superbly sharp. Optics, seeing, guiding all coming together. The dust detail is magnificent.
Yes slowly, slowly Mike. Its starting to be satisfying.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tilbrook@rbe.ne
Tack sharp Paul!
Images like this must be very satisfying with all the time and effort invested in your setup.
Cheers,
Justin.
Yes Justin, it has been a long haul of persistence. Eliminating one issue after another has been a labour of perseverance. This hobby is certainly not for the impatient (to quote Anthony Wesley).
Quote:
Originally Posted by bugeater
Absolutely love it. Love the target and your image of it is amazing.
That is nice of you to say that. There are some very fine images of this image out there to inspire me too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slawomir
Superb image, well done!
Would love one day to be able to photograph galaxies, in the meantime, I will have to stick to narrowband...
Up North winter = imaging time! :-)
Thanks Slawomir. Yes having lived in Brisbane for 4 years once winter was the best time for photography of the night sky. Funnily enough it is the place where I started astrophotography, such a long time ago.
Quote:
Originally Posted by alpal
That's fantastic Paul,
you've got detail in the dust lanes.
I am amazed that a GSO mirror can give you those results.
Maybe you got a fluke mirror?
cheers
Allan
I seriously doubt it Allan. I have looked through several of these scopes now and each once properly collimated gives quality views. Jim Sheng is a very good reflector optician. They invested heavily in quality CNC machines and are very committed to providing a quality product. I have spent a fair bit of time with Michael Chaytor and Jim to develop these scopes to where they are now. In all that time the optics have been very good. My 8" was the second RC8 in Australia was very sharp and worked well once I sorted the baffle issues. So don't be amazed, the optics are very good.
Quote:
Originally Posted by alpal
Hi Paul,
off topic:
I notice a picture of your is used in this YouTube video:
That takes me back a few years ago. That image is still in my gallery. Down the list a way now. There are a few videos I did for Sixty Symbols a few years back now. One in particular on imaging Saturn. It was great fun and part of my interest in public outreach. They asked me for permission to use various images from my website and I was pleased to help them out.
I seriously doubt it Allan. I have looked through several of these scopes now and each once properly collimated gives quality views. Jim Sheng is a very good reflector optician. They invested heavily in quality CNC machines and are very committed to providing a quality product. I have spent a fair bit of time with Michael Chaytor and Jim to develop these scopes to where they are now. In all that time the optics have been very good. My 8" was the second RC8 in Australia was very sharp and worked well once I sorted the baffle issues. So don't be amazed, the optics are very good.
That takes me back a few years ago. That image is still in my gallery. Down the list a way now. There are a few videos I did for Sixty Symbols a few years back now. One in particular on imaging Saturn. It was great fun and part of my interest in public outreach. They asked me for permission to use various images from my website and I was pleased to help them out.
Hi Paul,
I can say that there were people who seriously doubted that you could get
pictures of that quality with a system costing 1/5th of the price of
the usual premium optics producers but you have proven them all wrong.
Well done.
( I am trying to put a 10" f4 carbon fiber Newt. together to get great results
so I think along the same lines as you.)
What an honour to get on to a 60 symbols video -
you're on a roll.
Hi Paul,
I can say that there were people who seriously doubted that you could get
pictures of that quality with a system costing 1/5th of the price of
the usual premium optics producers but you have proven them all wrong.
Well done.
( I am trying to put a 10" f4 carbon fiber Newt. together to get great results
so I think along the same lines as you.)
What an honour to get on to a 60 symbols video -
you're on a roll.
cheers
Allan
So..let's think about this a bit more critically....and not to take away anything from Paul's fine image...Paramounts/STXL's etc. are cheap now?
As I've been howled/down before for saying so, the best optics on the planet will look very ordinary on a bowl of jelly.
