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Showing posts sorted by relevance for query QHY8. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query QHY8. Sort by date Show all posts

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Soul Nebula detail, IC 1848



I was able to shoot through four nights at last week. Unfortunately three of those night was ruined by a bad seeing, FWHM around 7, and nearly invisible thin clouds ate out the weaker signals. However, I had enough good data for couple of new images, here is the first one, IC 1848.


A closeup of IC 1848, the "Soul Nebula"
Ra 02h 51m 36.24s Dec +60° 26′ 53.9"

Image is in mapped colors from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
Star colors are shot with a QHY8 color camera, Tokina 300mm f2.8 optics and the Baader UHCs filter.
The open cluster IC 1848 can be seen at upper right edge of the image. (Two bright stars surrounded by a group of dimmer stars.)

There are 14x20min H-alpha light collected for this image, color data is borrowed from my older wide field image of the Soul NebulaThis is the second time for my tandem camera system, Star colors are shot at the same time, as the closeup image, with the QHY8 color camera and the Baader UHCs-filter. This filter delivers real colors for the stars, even though it's kind of narrowband filter.


INFO

Soul Nebula, (Sh2-199, LBN 667) is an emission nebula in constellation Cassiopeia. IC 1848 is a cluster inside Soul Nebula. Distance is about 7.500 light years. This complex is a Eastern neighbor of IC 1805, the "Heart Nebula" and they are often mentioned together as Heart and Soul. 


A study about the apparent scale




IC 1848 in visual colors

Image is in visual spectrum and dominated by the red light emitted by ionized Hydrogen, H-alpha. Blueish hues are from ionized Oxygen, O-III. Colors are shot  simultaneously with H-a emission by using QHY8 color camera, Tokina AT-X 300mm f2.8 camera lens and Baader UHCs-filter. 


Orientation and colors

The area of interest is marked with a white rectangle. Mapped colors, in up most image, are from this one.


This UHCs filtered image was shot simultaneously with H-a emission by using QHY8 color camera, Tokina AT-X 300mm f2.8 camera lens and Baader UHCs-filter. 
Colors in visual color image, second from the top, are taken from this image, as well as the star colors in both versions.


Technical details:

Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Levels, curves and color combine in PS CS3.

Optics, Meade LX200 GPS 12" @ f5
Camera, QHY9
Guiding, SXV-AO, an active optics unit, and Lodestar guide camera 12Hz
Image Scale, ~0,8 arc-seconds/pixel
15 x 1200s exposures for the H-alpha, emission of ionized Hydrogen = 5h

Optics and exposures used for colors

Tokina AT-X 300mm at f2.8
QHY8, a cooled single shot color camera
Baader UHC-s filter
Baader IR-cut filter
16x900s = 4h
Color channels for a mapped-palette image, O-III and S-II, are from an older wide field image.



A single calibrated 1200 second frame of H-a emission

A single 20 min. frame, just calibrated and stretched. Imaged with the QHY9 camera, Baader 7nm H-alpha filter and Meade LX200 12" telescope.







Monday, January 14, 2008

QHY8 Narrowband information, update

I have recived info about QHY8's Bayer matrix filter's spectral responce: Blue portion of the Bayer matrix in QHY8 = 460nm Green portion of the Bayer matrix in QHY8 = 540nm In Baader UHC-filter O-III and H-beta are in same block.

In the image can be seen, that first slot in filter contain wavelenghts between about 460-540nm. ( H-beta & O-III) When compared to QHY8's spectral responce, it looks like most of the O-III is ending up to the Green pixels and H-beta is ending up to the Blue pixels. There is overlapping and some weak parts, but least in theory, those wavelenghts can be separated in some amount. When weather allows, I'll test this under real skys. I guess, longer integration time will be needed. This is possible only with Bayer matrix color camera. When grayscale camera is used, all the information will end up to the same channel, sorry.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

A heavenly velvet, IC 405




A new image from the night of 10.01.


IC 405, the Flaming Star Nebula
In constellation Auriga

Colors are kind of "semi narrow band" in this image, since they are shot with QHY8 color camera and the Baader UHC-s filter.


This is a first time when I used two optics and the cameras at the same time.
H-a is shot with my old Meade LX200 12", Baader H-alpha filter and a cooled gray scale astrocamera, QHY9. 
Colors are shot at the same time by using a Tokina AT-X 300mm camera lens, Baader UHC-s filter and the cooled single shot color astrocam, QHY8. Tokina system was at back of the Meade telescope.

Image with Tokina AT-X 300mm camera lens, Baader UHC-s filter and QHY8 cooled color camera.
This image was shot at the same time as narrower field H-alpha shot with Meade LX200 12" and QHY9 astro camera.


INFO



IC 405 locates in constellation Auriga and it's an emission/reflection nebula. Reflection component can't be seen in my image, since I'm shooting only narrowband data and reflection part is broadband target.
Distance from Oulu, Finland, is about 1500 light years. Nebula is about 5 light years across.


IC 405, mapped colors in HST-palette

Colors are mapped to a HST-palette, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen
Click for a large image.




Orientation
In a wider field image

The area of interest is marked with a white rectangle.



Wide field images of the area

A twelve panel mosaic of the constellation Auriga in HST-mapped colors.
Note. a largish image, 2.75MB and 2000x1100 pixels.
A blog post about this image, with technical details,  can be seen here: http://astroanarchy.blogspot.fi/2012/03/auriga-panorama-gets-bigger-12-panels.html



A central portion of the mosaic above.



Technical details:

Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Levels, curves and color combine in PS CS3.

Optics, Meade LX200 GPS 12" @ f5
Camera, QHY9
Guiding, SXV-AO, an active optics unit, and Lodestar guide camera 5Hz
Image Scale, ~0,8 arc-seconds/pixel
12 x 1200s exposures for the H-alpha, emission of ionized Hydrogen = 4h

Optics and exposures used for colors
Tokina AT-X 300mm at f2.8
QHY8, a cooled single shot color camera
Baader UHC-s filter
36x300s = 3h

Color channels for HST-palette image, O-III and S-II, are from an older wide field image.



Thursday, February 21, 2013

A new image, NGC 2174, the Monkey Head Nebula



Image from last Tuesday, 19.02. I managed to use a crack in almost unbreakable cloud cover.
Result, ~4h exposures for the ionized Hydrogen of NGC 2174, the Monkey Head Nebula.
While shooting with my old Meade 12", I shot colors simultaneously with the QHY8 astrocamera, Baader UHCs-filter and the Tokina AT-X 300mm f2.8 camera lens. 


NGC 2174, the Monkey Head Nebula
In the constellation Orion

Image is in visual spectrum and dominated by the red light emitted by ionized Hydrogen, H-alpha. Blueish hues are from ionized Oxygen, O-III. Colors are shot simultaneously with H-a emission by using QHY8 color camera, Tokina AT-X 300mm f2.8 camera lens and Baader UHCs-filter.
Buy a photographic print from HERE

A closeup

Buy a photographic print from HERE

INFO

NGC 2175, it's surraunded by an emission nebula Sh2-252, it's sometimes called as a "Monkey head nebula". NGC 2175 locates in constellation Orion. In my northern location, 65N, this target is not very high, about 39 degrees in maximum elevation. Distance from Oulu, Finland, is about 6350 light years.


Image in mapped colors

Image is in mapped colors from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
Star colors are shot with a QHY8 color camera, Tokina 300mm f2.8 optics and the Baader UHCs filter.
The open cluster IC 1590 can be seen at middle of the image.
Colors in the nebula are taken from this older image of mine:
Buy a photographic print from HERE

A study about the apparent scale in the sky
Note. A Moon size circle as a scale, click for a large image

More info about this scale study in blog post here:


Technical details:

Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Levels, curves and color combine in PS CS3.

Optics, Meade LX200 GPS 12" @ f5
Camera, QHY9
Guiding, SXV-AO, an active optics unit, and Lodestar guide camera 8Hz
Image Scale, ~0,8 arc-seconds/pixel
12 x 1200s exposures for the H-alpha, emission of ionized Hydrogen = 4h

Optics and exposures used for colors

Tokina AT-X 300mm at f2.8
QHY8, a cooled single shot color camera
Baader UHC-s filter
Baader IR-cut filter
22x600s = 3,6h

Color channels for a mapped-palette image, O-III and S-II, are from an older image of mine.


A single unprocessed 1200 second frame of H-a emission

A single 20 min. frame, just calibrated and nonliterary stretched to visible. 
Imaged with the QHY9 camera, Baader 7nm H-alpha filter and Meade LX200 12" telescope.


And yes, it really does look like a head of a monkey!








Wednesday, January 30, 2013

NGC 281, the Pac-Man Nebula



A new image from the last week, NGC 281, I spend four nights imaging but the bad seeing and some thin upper clouds ruined majority of my frames. I managed to get enough exposures for two images, the Soul Nebula detail and this shot of Pac-Man Nebula.


NGC 281, in Cassiopeia
Ra 00h 52m 59.3s Dec +56° 37′ 19″

Image is in mapped colors from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
Star colors are shot with a QHY8 color camera, Tokina 300mm f2.8 optics and the Baader UHCs filter.
The open cluster  IC 1590 can be seen at middle of the image.

Buy a photographic print from HERE

Image is taken at 21. Jan. and there are 23x20min H-alpha light collected for it, color data is borrowed from my older image of the NGC 281. This is the third time for my tandem camera system, Star and natural color of the nebula are shot at the same time, as the closeup image, with the QHY8 color camera and the Baader UHCs-filter. This filter delivers real colors for the stars, even though it's kind of narrowband filter.


INFO

NGC 281 is an H II region in the constellation of Cassiopeia. It includes the open cluster IC 1590 and several Bok globules (dark doo-dads at center of the Blue area). NGC 281 is also known as the Pac-Man Nebula for its resemblance to the video game character from early 80's.
NGC281 spans over 80 light years at its estimated distance of 9500 light years.


An experimental 3D study of NGC 281

This is a link to a 3D-movie, please, have a look:


NGC 281 in visual colors

Image is in visual spectrum and dominated by the red light emitted by ionized Hydrogen, H-alpha. Blueish hues are from ionized Oxygen, O-III. Colors are shot simultaneously with H-a emission by using QHY8 color camera, Tokina AT-X 300mm f2.8 camera lens and Baader UHCs-filter.

Buy a photographic print from HERE

A study about the shapes

Lines in the image are showing, how the pillar-like formations are all pointing to the source of solar wind and ionization, the open cluster  IC 1590, inside the Pack_man Nebula.

There are some denser material at tip of the pillar like formations and it's able to resist the radiation pressure from the open cluster IC 1590, at the middle of the nebula. Typically those tips are future homes for newly born stars, as well as dark globules seen in the image. The same open cluster is coursing  the ionization in Pac-Man Nebula by its radiation. each ionized element in the nebula emits light at the typical wave length.


Technical details:

Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Levels, curves and color combine in PS CS3.

Optics, Meade LX200 GPS 12" @ f5
Camera, QHY9
Guiding, SXV-AO, an active optics unit, and Lodestar guide camera 12Hz
Image Scale, ~0,8 arc-seconds/pixel
24 x 1200s exposures for the H-alpha, emission of ionized Hydrogen = 8h

Optics and exposures used for colors

Tokina AT-X 300mm at f2.8
QHY8, a cooled single shot color camera
Baader UHC-s filter
Baader IR-cut filter
16x900s = 4h
Color channels for a mapped-palette image, O-III and S-II, are from an older image of mine.


A single unprocessed 1200 second frame of H-a emission

A single 20 min. frame, just calibrated and stretched. Imaged with the QHY9 camera, Baader 7nm H-alpha filter and Meade LX200 12" telescope.






Friday, March 15, 2013

Rosette Nebula, a closeup, part II



I have combined the new Rosette data to an old one, from the year 2010.
New image has little different colors and much tighter stars. The natural color image, more or less red, is done by combining colors from wider field Rosette image to a closeup. Wide field image used is shot with Tokina 300mm f2.8 camera optics, UHC-s-filter and the QHY8 color camera. UHCs-filter from Baader delivers natural colors to the Nebula and stars. UHCs-data is shot simultaneously with new image of H-a emission.


Rosette Nebula & a star cluster NGC 2239
Ra 06h 33m 45s Dec +04° 59′ 54″


Image is in visual spectrum and dominated by the red light emitted by ionized Hydrogen, H-alpha. Blueish hues are from ionized Oxygen, O-III. Colors are shot simultaneously with H-a emission by using QHY8 color camera, Tokina AT-X 300mm f2.8 camera lens and Baader UHCs-filter.
¨

A new data alone

Image is in visual spectrum and dominated by the red light emitted by ionized Hydrogen, H-alpha. Blueish hues are from ionized Oxygen, O-III. Colors are shot simultaneously with H-a emission by using QHY8 color camera, Tokina AT-X 300mm f2.8 camera lens and Baader UHCs-filter.

A leaping Puma

A detail, from the image above, looks like a leaping puma!


INFO

The Rosette Nebula (also known as Caldwell 49) is a large, circular H II region located near one end of a giant molecular cloud in the Monoceros. The open cluster NGC 2244(Caldwell 50) is closely associated with the nebulosity, the stars of the cluster having been formed from the nebula's matter. The cluster and nebula locates at a distance of about 5,200 light years from Earth. The diameter is about 130 light years. 
The radiation from the young stars ionized the atoms in the nebula, causing them to emit light, typical to each element, producing the visible nebula. Stellar winds, radiation pressure, from a group of stars cause compression to the interstellar clouds, followed by star formation in the nebula. This star formation is currently still ongoing.


Rosette closeup in mapped colors
from narrowband channels


Image is in mapped colors from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.


A new data alone

Image is in mapped colors from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.


A wide field image of the Rosette Nebula


Image is in mapped colors from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.



A study about an apparent scale

Click for a large image! 
Note. A moon size circle in the images as a scale. (Moon has an apparent size of 0.5 degrees, that's equal to 30 arc minutes)


Technical details

Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Levels, curves and color combine in PS CS3.

Optics, Meade LX200 GPS 12" @ f5
Camera, QHY9
Guiding, SXV-AO, an active optics unit, and Lodestar guide camera 11Hz
Image Scale, ~0,8 arc-seconds/pixel
13 x 1200s exposures for the H-alpha, emission of ionized Hydrogen = 4h 20min.
+
Data from 2010
H-alpha 13x1200s, binned 1x1

Colors are taken from my older wide field image, for a mapped color composition, and new UHCs-filtered image, for a visual color composition.
 emission.

UHCs-filtered image
Shot for color information

This image is used just for the color information. Only 20min. of exposures.
Tokina 300mm f2.8 camera optics, UHC-s-filter and the QHY8 color camera. UHCs-filter from Baader delivers natural colors to the Nebula and stars. UHCs-data is shot simultaneously with new image of H-a emission.



Monday, June 6, 2011

IC1805, the "Heart Nebula", apparent scale in the sky





I have shot many targets with several focal lengths. 
Due that, I will publish some of my material as an image sets, with different field of view and detail levels.
The fractal nature of our universe stands out nicely by this way and it will make the orientation more easy.

Many times, it's difficult to understand the image scale of astronomical images.
Due that, I will add a Moon circle in some of the images to show the angular scale in a sky. 
The full Moon has an angular size of ~30 arc minutes, that's equal to ~0,5 degrees.



IC 1805 zoom in series with a Moon scale circle

In constellation Cassiopeia.



NOTE. The size of the full Moon (0,5 degrees) is marked as a gray circle in all of the images.
Natural color composition from the emission of ionized elements, R=80%Hydrogen+20%Sulfur, G=100%Oxygen and B=85%Oxygen+15%Hydrogen to compensate otherwise missing H-beta emission. This composition is very close to a visual spectrum.



Images used in the series above from top to bottom

  1. A wide field image from 2008.  with a Canon FD 200mm f2.8 camera lens and a QHY8, a cooled astronomical camera with a H-alpha and UHC-s filters. Total exposure time ~2,5h

  2. A wide field image of the area, covering about 5 degrees, ~300', of the sky. (Ten full Moons side by side)
    IC 1805, the "Heart Nebula", locates at upper Right and  IC 1848 can be seen at lower Left. Image is shot with a Canon EF 200mm f1.8 camera lens and a QHY9, a cooled astronomical camera.
    Baader narrowband filter set, total exposure time was ~1,5 hours (A very fast lens was used!).

  3. A medium wide field shot with a Sky Watcher 80ED f7.5 telescope and QHY8 astronomical camera + UHC-s filter. Total exposure time ~3,5h
  4. Last image was shot with a Meade LX200 GPS 12" telescope @ f6,5 and a QHY8, a cooled astronomical camera with a H-alpha and UHC-s filters. Total exposure time ~7h.

Monday, December 31, 2007

DS images from 2004-07

Older DS images from 2005-7
M31 is beautiful and very problematic target. Large angular size, low surfage brightness and large dynamic range combined to heavily light polluted location, is not a good combination. Anyhow, here is the result this time. I really need a darker location. SW80ED and QHY8 guiding LX200+QHY5+PHD-guiding 4h total exposure time.
M33 is adifficult target from light polluted evnironment.I use four hours of exposures for this. Noise porblem and very low S/N are coused by LP. SW80ED QHY8, guided with LX200+QHY5+PHD-guiding
I had some extra time, so i went trough my archives. Here it is famous 17P/Holmes. At the time it was easy to spot with naked eye. Two hours of exposures with QHY8 and SW80ED.
M56 & M66
M51
M81
M101
NGC 4565
NGC 5907 (Pizza?)
M82 M106 Sun Flower Galaxy

M13

My very first DS image ever.
I was very proud, that I was able to see spiral arms
in my picture! Image is taken in Alt/Az mode acd there was
only 12x30s subs, no guiding.

NGC3718, thanks for solving it Philipp