Glimpse of Homunculus Nebula

avandonk · #1 03-01-2008, 10:14 AM

I was testing the TAL200K after a another modification. Yes used Eta Carina as a test.

Details
TAL200K with Hutech FR #7887 1800mm FL f/9, Canon 5DH and Hutech LPS filter. FOV is 1.14X0.75 degrees. Seeing was about 5.
ISO 500:-- 1X(8s, 15s, 30s.)
ISO 1000:-- 3x(30s, 1M, 2m) 9x(4m, 8m)
RAW to TIFF and correct for flats with ImagesPlus. Stacked and aligned with Registar. Used EasyHDR to produce a HDR image.

What is interesting that in no single exposure is there any 'detail' in the region round Eta Carina, just a featureless ellipsoid. But the HDR image seems to have managed it. I have put up the same region from the Hubble widefield as a comparison.

What do you good folks think? Is it real? There is also a crop of a one second exposure of the Trapezium to give you an idea of the seeing conditions

Bert

ving (David) · #2 03-01-2008, 10:26 AM

now why cant we get hummble like shots?

good on ya bert, you have caught good detail on there. certainly got the hom... thingy

dannat (Daniel) · #3 03-01-2008, 11:21 AM

the first shot is good, is the second just a blow-up of the first or is it the hdr worked image? i like the first one anyway.

avandonk · #4 03-01-2008, 03:04 PM

Thanks Ving I thought I was imagining things. I found one of the 4mm bolts (and I use the term bolts loosely) that holds the OTA to the saddle had broken so I drilled and re tapped the saddle for 6mm bolts. I then had to also drill the tube of the Tal so the larger bolts would clear. The symptom was was as obvious as it was to rectify. The image moved at random slightly between frames just due to the shutter action!

It was not much but I knew it was not correct. Anyway it is all firm now and fixed till next time. Tracking is quite well now so a sixteen minute exposure would be no problem.
The next thing to do is make the Peltier fridge cool this system without losing any versatility of any control.

Bert

ving (David) · #5 03-01-2008, 03:40 PM

yeah the lobes are quite visible to me

CoombellKid · #6 03-01-2008, 04:02 PM

Having observed this object on a number of occassions, and looking at the
images you have provided. Yup I'd say you have nabbed it, well done

I dont think I have seen an amateur shot of the Homunculus Nebula.

regards,CS... it's good to see someone getting some

ving (David) · #7 03-01-2008, 04:24 PM

hi rob

theres a whole thread somewhere on here about capturing it

Alchemy (Clive) · #8 03-01-2008, 08:00 PM

everyone likes a challenge, good for trying.

one of the moderators (dont remember which one) shot the homonculus with a dmk webcam, huge focal length, and got some details of the cloud. pretty good effort i thought ... want to try this myself just got so many other projects to do though.

avandonk · #9 04-01-2008, 07:50 PM

I did some more shorter exposures from 1sec ISO 200 doubling effective exposure each time for twelve exposures.

Here is the HDR result below. The dust around Eta Carina itself is just below maximum brightness. The last image shows the exact same region as Erics image.

Bert