IC1805 - Heart of the Heart Nebula in HST palette

Paramount · #1 17-09-2010, 08:24 PM

Hi
This is another image I started just over a week ago as a try out to see how it went taking 30 minute sub frames. I managed to get 10x30 minutes of Ha last week and last night was clear apart from two 10 minute breaks for clouds. It was taken with a Takahashi FSQ106ED at f5 and Starlight Xpress H9 on a Paramount ME, auto guiding was by a Lodestar camera and OAG using dithering.
Exposures were
10x30 minutes Ha
4x30 minutes OIII
7x30 minutes SII
These were then mapped to the HST palette. Using 30 minute sub frames does make the processing a lot easier as less usage of levels and curves are required to bring out the detail

The Ha version of this and earlier attempts at this object can be seen in the image gallery on my website
http://www.imagingtheheavens.co.uk

and a full size high resolution version can be seen at the following link

http://www.pbase.com/imaging_the_hea...13458/original

Thanks for looking
Best wishes and clear skies
Gordon

Octane (Humayun) · #2 17-09-2010, 08:42 PM

A beautiful work of art, Gordon.

H

TheDecepticon · #3 18-09-2010, 12:45 AM

Love narrow band! Awesome colours!!

Alchemy (Clive) · #4 18-09-2010, 06:14 AM

Long exposures will bring out the detail, with the northern objects it's hard to know if you have exceptional data or not, usually with a familiar object there are things one looks for, but again I'm in unfamiliar territory, my only critique and it's only visible in the larger image is the dark halos around the stars in the darker areas. Apart from that it ticks the boxes.

spearo (Frank) · #5 20-09-2010, 07:24 AM

I'm so envious...
frank

astrospotter (Mark) · #6 25-09-2010, 05:36 PM

Very impressive. Here is a simple question and I bet many here know the answer.

For each of Ha, O3 and Si what are the weights assigned to R G and B when combining? I use PixInsight so each mono component like the combined and cleaned up Ha would then be added into an RGB using a factor for each of R, G, and B.

I know this is sort of a 'noob' question but that be where I am at this point.

Thanks for any thoughts.

Again, very nice shot pointing out how science and art mix well.

Paramount · #7 25-09-2010, 06:44 PM

Hi
My choice of software for colour combining narrow band images is Maxim DL and for this I generally use a weighting of 7:1:3 or 7:1:4 for SII:Ha:OIII = RGB channels, sometimes i will vary this slightly depending on the subject but Ha always remains as 1
Best wishes
Gordon

Hagar (Doug) · #8 25-09-2010, 08:55 PM

Lovely as usual Gordon. Interestingly APOD today is the same area and it's interesting to see two images of the same area and notice the difference in the 3D effect of the image. I think you win on this count.
Very nice.

Paramount · #9 25-09-2010, 09:34 PM

Hi Doug
Thanks for the comments, they are much appreciated, now can you go over to NASA and take over the role of picking the APOD pictures

Best wishes
Gordon

Hagar (Doug) · #10 25-09-2010, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paramount

Hi Doug
Thanks for the comments, they are much appreciated, now can you go over to NASA and take over the role of picking the APOD pictures

Best wishes
Gordon

I think youve got to be in the right group to get one as an apod.

astrospotter (Mark) · #11 26-09-2010, 07:26 PM

Thanks for the reply on narrowband combination.

And hats off again to you on this shot. Just a wonderful production all the way from technique to presentation.

Cheers,
Mark

gregbradley · #12 26-09-2010, 07:39 PM

Wonderful colour and composition. The stars are a bit harshed out. Perhaps too much deconvolution or sharpening there takes the edge off a tad for me.

Greg.