Just a basic M42

strongmanmike (Michael) · #1 29-11-2009, 10:36 AM

After travelling to my dark sky site for what was forcast to be and indeed was, a perfect Friday night and setting everything up in the heat and mozzies at dusk...my computer failed to boot fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu ...packed everything up and went home with nuttin, second time in three outings that something has ruined an impending perfect night...fast losing patience

Any way...

Here is a frustration image. After the inner core region version in my last post, this shot frames the whole main nebula and has been composed from three different data sets taken over the last 4 years. I think it has came to gether "o-k" considering that the main Luminance is still only 5min Ha plus 5min Lum. It is no deep monster but I think as a basic image of the main nebula it represents at least a pleasant view...and retains some of my sanity

Hope you like it none the less....the full sword in all its glory is still coming.....sometime...even if it kills me

(1meg)
http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike20...23071/original

Mike

Hagar (Doug) · #2 29-11-2009, 11:18 AM

It is a nice image Mike but I think you have done better and can't wait to see the image you will produce when you finally get everything cooperating.

Imaging can be very frustrating and I can certainly empathise with you on this account. I doubt any of us have outing completely event free, be it guiding, computer or just silly battery failures. Travelling a long way from home only makes it harder to bear.
Keep at it mate, I am sure your image will be worth the wait. I intened to give orion area another go as soon as the weather or at least bad weather clears.

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #3 29-11-2009, 11:25 AM

Poor Mike.
It's more a consolation prize than a winner.
You've been through the wringer lately trying to get more data.
Here's hoping that Santa brings us all pristine clear skies and a FU free night for next new moon.

DavidU (Dave) · #4 29-11-2009, 11:39 AM

Oh yes ! A "basic" M42. Jeez

multiweb (Marc) · #5 29-11-2009, 12:20 PM

Arghh! Don't you hate it when that happens? I remember one very dry night in Ilford every time I'd touch the mount tripod I'd get a static discharge and all the USB hubs would disconnect. I even blue screened the laptop once by touching the Aluminium table.

Sometime I wish I could do without a laptop. Your M42 is coming along real nice.

Jen · #6 29-11-2009, 12:21 PM

BASIC oh my,.. Mike you make it look basic to get nice shots like that (jen keeps on dreaming) Keep em coming cheers

dpastern (Dave Pastern) · #7 29-11-2009, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidU

Oh yes ! A "basic" M42. Jeez

That was my reaction lol...

I'd be delighted with an image like that Mike!

Dave

bluescope · #8 29-11-2009, 03:35 PM

You'll just have to move to live at a dark sky site mate and have a permanent observatory setup ... imagine what you would do then ... I don't mean to upset you with this suggestion Mike but you know it's the answer deep down

By the way the image is as good as one would expect with your situation ... we all know you are capable of much more big guy !

gregbradley · #9 29-11-2009, 04:04 PM

Awesome image for a recovery image.

Imagine what you'll get when it all comes together again.

I think we've all had those nights. Inevitable with complex gear
a lot of which is electronic. I even wasted a couple of hours sorting out stuff when I hadn't even touched the gear from the night before where it worked perfectly???

Is your lappie OK now or is it a hard disk failure?

Greg.

strongmanmike (Michael) · #10 29-11-2009, 04:26 PM

Thanks for lookin guys

Thing is I have been very lucky with my outfit really, last time it was me who simply forgot the lap top

this time there was actually an error with it. Greg- the lappie is in for repair, took it there the next morning - can't sleep if my rig has issues

sounds like a boot up problem they said should be a simple fix

I have been very lucky as far as equipment goes so far really so I better touch wood

The NJP with FS2 mount control and both FLI and SX cameras and in fact everything else really

has been blemish free for some time now...hope I didn't just jinx myself

I know I set my own bar pretty high I guess and while this is a nice shot of M42 it is nothing extrodinary but hey, I am not from the school that needs to work on an image for weeks to make if just right before finally posting it in some grand way, generally I do stuff - I share it with my friends

, if I repro

... so be it

strongmanmike (Michael) · #11 29-11-2009, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hagar

It is a nice image Mike but I think you have done better

...well...it's better than this one

http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike20...94020/original

incidentally as crappy as this image looks now, it was actually an award winning image in its day

Mike

Hagar (Doug) · #12 29-11-2009, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

...well...it's better than this one

http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike20...94020/original

incidentally as crappy as this image looks now, it was actually an award winning image in its day

Mike

Not to bad for film, I had some a lot worse than that. I had to get a mate to develop them as the labs would just throw them away. I since have thrown them all away in one of my many house moves.

Paul Haese · #13 29-11-2009, 08:39 PM

This will be a cracker of an image once you get all the data you need for it. Lots of detail now but just needs the data to make it really nice.

AlexN · #14 29-11-2009, 08:47 PM

Such a pain in the bum... It would be incredible if we could have all the joys of computerized telescopes, CCD's, electronic filter wheels and auto-focus without the need for computers!

That said, without solitare or Microsoft Pinball, how would we get through those multi hour imaging runs in one piece!

mill (Martin) · #15 29-11-2009, 09:33 PM

Yep that is the crappiest M42 i have ever seen

NOT!!!!!!
Looking good with the data you got Michael

strongmanmike (Michael) · #16 29-11-2009, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hagar

Not to bad for film, I had some a lot worse than that. I had to get a mate to develop them as the labs would just throw them away. I since have thrown them all away in one of my many house moves.

Oh as I said that was actually an award winning image in 1984

so at the time it was the bomb and my mate and I loved it...laughable huh? It was better than that originally, the old B&W print I scanned was in poor crinckly condition and the scanning processes has degraded the appearence further.

Did all my own B&W film processing and darkroom printing back then, ah sigh...fun times

Mike

strongmanmike (Michael) · #17 29-11-2009, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexN

Such a pain in the bum... It would be incredible if we could have all the joys of computerized telescopes, CCD's, electronic filter wheels and auto-focus without the need for computers!

That said, without solitare or Microsoft Pinball, how would we get through those multi hour imaging runs in one piece!

You are right Alex, after setting all that up and looking at it thinking, man she is a a beauty...but she's useless with no lappie

, plus without a visual scope setup handy = well, a wasted night

I often listen to the right wing rednecks on late night talkback myself, the ignorant, racist and stupid views make me laugh

Mike

AlexN · #18 29-11-2009, 10:18 PM

I might give that a go next time out!

sounds like a laugh and a half! I'll occasionally listen to music, or bung on a movie on a different laptop to keep me occupied...

Garyh · #19 30-11-2009, 08:13 AM

Did you boot the pc after it didn`t boot!
What a bummer especially after travelling and setting up. Had a same problem here the other week, darm thing would just turn it`self off any old time, grrrrrr
But still your composite image looks pretty good!
Do you use Registar for the different scale images?
cheers Gary

Tom Davis (Tom) · #20 30-11-2009, 11:42 AM

Gorgeous!

The PC in my home observatory died (5 years old) and so I just went through the process of reconfiguring a new one. Pain in the b__t. It happens though, oh well...

Tom