a few more stellar objects part three

[ehanes7612]

Actually, I read that would be the case. But it's fun to speculate.

I think the astronomer's name is Mike Brown. He speculated that someone may already have the data, and that many astronomers are probably now combing through their data trying to find evidence --or actual photos.

Probably , a lot of astronomy work is done by amateurs and students

 

[ehanes7612]

I got a new camera last month. An Atik 314L+ monochrome. It's a CCD camera especially made for astrophotography. It has internal cooling to reduce read noise and has a higher quantum efficiency (essentially is more sensitive). And because it is monochrome, it is able to use each color of (RGB) at 100 %, instead of 33% efficiency (as in a DSLR). The only draw back to this particular camera is that the sensor is much smaller than a DSLR's sensor., so the field of view is much narrower (they make larger format CCD's but they are really expensive). SO I went to northern Nevada last week to take some exposures of the Rosette Nebula. This is what I got. The processing is fairly involved, here is a short synopsis with pictures.

The Hydrogen alpha filter stack 30 x3 minute subs (used as Red for RGB)

The Oxygen III filter stack 10 x 3 minute subs (used as Green for RGB)

The Sulfur II filter (actually only got one sub, so its pretty grainy, really only used it for a blue channel in the RGB image)

so, with each one, I remove the stars and combine in RGB channels (Photoshop), while aligning with free transform.This gives a color photo without stars.

I use the Hydrogen alpha image as the Luminance layer since it pretty much has all the detail for all three. Combine this with the RGB image and this was the final product.

This was about two hours worth of exposures (3 minutes each). I spent about eight hours trying to learn everything and dealing with technical problems. There was a lot of cursing going around, but I am pretty happy with it as my first 'professional' level astrophotography image.

 

[ehanes7612]

this is after extracting the color channels separately and recombining linearly
(which means the color channels of the histogram fit together better, a way to cheat with color balance)

 

[cnycharles]

Interesting, even if over my head; cool pics! My eyes water and I get a headache if I sit looking at the same image on screen for too long


Elmer Nj

 

[ehanes7612]

Have been busy with school so I haven't had the chance to post some of my recent work. Now doing AP work from my backyard in the city. Paid a lot of money (about 3 grand) for special filters that cut out all the light pollution and narrow the bandwith to just around the target wavelength, ....meaning, I shoot in only the filters that pick up the three main chemical emission signatures (Oxygen3 (green), Sulfur2 (blue) and Hydrogen alpha(red))

The B&W's are only in Halpha monocolor.
This is a region of the Milky Way in Cygnus..called the Gammi Cygni region (referring to the bright star). You can see the Crescent Nebula in the upper right corner).

This was used with an Atik 314 CCD camera attached to an Rokinon 50mm camera lens

This is a a smaller field of view with a SBIG CCD camera on an 80 mm scope. (sensor sizes are different so you get different field of views). Crescent Nebula

This is yet a smaller field of view with the first camera and same scope. Crescent Nebula

Dumbell Nebula. This is a combination of Halpha and Oiii with a technique in RGB imaging that combines both of them at different values to make the blue channel..and then the three B&W's are combined in color channels with PS

This was the Atik 314 L with the 80 mm scope

the atik 314 L narrows the field of view to 1/16 of the scope/lens natural field of view..essentially cropping the image...but the CCD camera is so efficient at collecting photons that little resolution is lost..makes it a good camera for imaging small objects without needing a large telescope

 

[Ozpaph]

I really enjoy looking at your images

 

[suzyquec]

One word, WOW!

 

[SlipperFan]

Very impressive.

 

[Lanmark]

I've just reread this entire thread from beginning to end. You're very talented at this, and the results are fascinating and impressive! Thanks for doing this and sharing the results with us. It helps to put things in perspective, especially during this season of political demagoguery.

 

[ehanes7612]

I've just reread this entire thread from beginning to end. You're very talented at this, and the results are fascinating and impressive! Thanks for doing this and sharing the results with us. It helps to put things in perspective, especially during this season of political demagoguery.

thanks..I wish I were talented at it...it's a very steep learning curve and I have a long way to go

 

[Migrant13]

Amazing stuff as always Prof. Hanes!

 

[ehanes7612]

some more...
all done from my heavily light polluted backyard with special filters

Cygnus area Around Deneb and Sadr

Witchbroom Nebula Bicolor

 

[Lanmark]

That Witchbroom Nebula is stunning!

 

[abax]

The complexity of the parts of the universe that we can see
is stunning. There surely must be life forms out there
somewhere. This tiny planet in this small solar system in
this spiral galaxy can't be the only place evolution began.

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

That Witchbroom Nebula is stunning!

I second that!

 

[SlipperFan]

I'd love to see these enlarged to wall size!

 

[Ozpaph]

I'd love to see these enlarged to wall size!

ceiling size!

 

[Justin]

Wow really cool

 

[ehanes7612]

Did this one over the Xmas break
Heart Nebula

 

[Secundino]

Wow, nice. Why is there so much red?