Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => Landscape Showcase => Topic started by: Colorado_CJ on January 11, 2020, 05:00:13 pm

Title: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: Colorado_CJ on January 11, 2020, 05:00:13 pm: I completed (so far anyway, these could always use more data), my first image from my new observatory!

It sure is nice to sit inside and image, especially in the biting winter winds. I started this image a few days ago, on a night that had 70+ m.p.h. gusts. In fact, just up the road at Carter Lake, they recorded a couple of gusts up over 100 m.p.h.!

No problem in my dome though. The wind didn't get inside at all and I was able to image 5 minute exposures with the stars staying nice and round. I am just a little pleased with my dome :D.

Anyway, last night I was able to capture a little SII data on the Rosetta nebula to go with the Ha and OIII data I had before.

I only got 10 images at 300 seconds of SII before clouds rolled in, but I wanted to see how it all looked together. I will definitely be getting more data as this image is still too grainy.

The first is in the "Hubble Palette" where the Sulfur II is red, the Hydrogen Alpha is green and the Oxygen II is blue. The second is in HSO Palette, where the Hydrogen is red, the Sulfur is green and the Oxygen is blue.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49369090582_30d4e681d1_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2idzuCW)Rosetta-SHO-1-Small (https://flic.kr/p/2idzuCW) by Colo CJ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/184532879@N08/), on Flickr

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49368875921_5167e526a4_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2idyoPT)HSO-2-small (https://flic.kr/p/2idyoPT) by Colo CJ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/184532879@N08/), on Flickr
Title: Re: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: petermfiore on January 11, 2020, 05:10:06 pm: Wonderful images and much fun...Now can we see your dome and it's insides too?

Peter
Title: Re: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: Peter McLennan on January 11, 2020, 05:10:59 pm: OMFG. Are you sure you don't have a Hubble staked down in your yard?

Truly astonishing what you're able to achieve. Congratulations!

YAH! Can we see the Observatory?
Title: Re: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: Colorado_CJ on January 11, 2020, 05:13:45 pm: Quote from: petermfiore on January 11, 2020, 05:10:06 pm
Wonderful images and much fun...Now can we see your dome and it's insides too?

Peter

Thanks.

Here is the build thread on my dome: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/644821-starting-in-on-buiding-a-dome/

And a few photos:

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49342918696_ab33b45b5b_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2ibgmDw)First Night in the Dome (https://flic.kr/p/2ibgmDw) by Colo CJ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/184532879@N08/), on Flickr

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49119003398_885881838b_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hQtJqW)DSCF2085-1 (https://flic.kr/p/2hQtJqW) by Colo CJ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/184532879@N08/), on Flickr

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49166231537_2a7f8fefae_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hUDMHc)DSCF2095-5 (https://flic.kr/p/2hUDMHc) by Colo CJ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/184532879@N08/), on Flickr

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49170593588_472319f275_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hV39oY)DSCF2097-1 (https://flic.kr/p/2hV39oY) by Colo CJ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/184532879@N08/), on Flickr

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49220269737_cf2ec9a060_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hZqKoi)DSCF2101-1 (https://flic.kr/p/2hZqKoi) by Colo CJ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/184532879@N08/), on Flickr

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49312449408_21e46f8730_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2i8zcbY)Light Weight Imaging Rig (https://flic.kr/p/2i8zcbY) by Colo CJ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/184532879@N08/), on Flickr

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49220269677_f20a20b2c9_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hZqKng)_DSC5149-1 (https://flic.kr/p/2hZqKng) by Colo CJ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/184532879@N08/), on Flickr
Title: Re: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: Colorado_CJ on January 11, 2020, 05:16:08 pm: Quote from: Peter McLennan on January 11, 2020, 05:10:59 pm
OMFG. Are you sure you don't have a Hubble staked down in your yard?

Truly astonishing what you're able to achieve. Congratulations!

YAH! Can we see the Observatory?

No Hubble ;) . This was just with a cheapish Stellarvue SV80 Access, a 560mm F7 scope. I also have a SkyWatcher MN190 Mak Newt which is a 1000mm F5.2 scope,
Title: Re: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: Colorado_CJ on January 11, 2020, 05:27:33 pm: Quote from: petermfiore on January 11, 2020, 05:18:32 pm
Please tell me it's heated...

Peter

No, first time building a dome like this. I have a lot of experience building other things though.

It isn't heated. The dome has to be at thermal equilibrium with the outside air, otherwise currents will arise. Almost like a mirage. It would effect imaging and make images lose focus since the air will be shimmering.
Title: Re: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: BJL on January 11, 2020, 05:49:09 pm: Wow!

But no gear/tech. questions yet?! Are you merging successive images taken with filters for the different spectral lines (S, H, O)?
Title: Re: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: Colorado_CJ on January 11, 2020, 06:01:48 pm: Quote from: BJL on January 11, 2020, 05:49:09 pm
Wow!

But no gear/tech. questions yet?! Are you merging successive images taken with filters for the different spectral lines (S, H, O)?

Exactly. I imaged the following:

30, 300 second H-Alpha exposures
20, 300 second Oxygen III exposures
10, 300 second Sulfur II exposures

Each filter is stacked separately in stacking software, then combined in Photoshop with a color assigned to each "stack".

I am using 6nm filters, so only 6nm of each spectral line is imaged. You can then see what the nebula is composed of visually, where in a normal RGB image, the nebula would turn up pink/red like this. (image from a normal dslr)
Title: Re: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on January 11, 2020, 08:10:11 pm: Truly impressive project with spectacular results.
I look forward to more images.
Title: Re: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: Peter McLennan on January 11, 2020, 10:47:45 pm: Extraordinary that you can produce such images from your back yard.
An example to us all of the results that can be obtained by knowledge, hard work and dedication. Thank you!
Title: Re: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: Colorado_CJ on January 12, 2020, 10:42:14 am: Thanks everyone!

I brought my big scope into the observatory last night and imaged the Horsehead Nebula for a little while.

This is my first time using this scope on this object since it was not visible when I bought it last year. I had to manually focus as my autofocus stopped working the night before (going to have to get a replacement), so I didn't get focus perfect.

This is 15, 300 second exposures through a Hydrogen Alpha filter. A little grainy yet, and not as detailed as it could be (bad focus), but it looks pretty nice.

There sure is a lot of gas/dust up there!

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49373377541_648f999f28_o.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2idXt12)HorseHead_15_frames_300_sec small (https://flic.kr/p/2idXt12) by Colo CJ (https://www.flickr.com/photos/184532879@N08/), on Flickr
Title: Re: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: Rajan Parrikar on January 17, 2020, 04:29:31 am: Wow.
Title: Re: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: bobfriedman on January 17, 2020, 07:59:48 am: excellent results.. thank you for sharing setup
Title: Re: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: kers on January 17, 2020, 11:23:53 am: indeed wow!. So you are inside your dome to be able to look better outside- and it shows!
Title: Re: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: MattBurt on January 17, 2020, 05:37:14 pm: Wow, nice photos and great work on the dome! Very impressive.
Title: Re: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on January 17, 2020, 06:17:46 pm: Quote from: MattBurt on January 17, 2020, 05:37:14 pm
Wow, nice photos and great work on the dome! Very impressive.
Agreed!
Title: Re: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: maddogmurph on January 19, 2020, 03:23:41 am: Well, I just spent the last hour reading your blog. I think, like you... I better not. I'm the type to go all in as well, and I don't have the technical expertise to build a dome... I think I'll stick to landscape. But I do love astro.
Title: Re: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: RSL on January 19, 2020, 07:43:12 am: What can one say other than "wow"?
Title: Re: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: langier on January 20, 2020, 12:20:31 am: Spectacular! Can't believe these were shot from the Earth!
Title: Re: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: Paulo Bizarro on January 20, 2020, 05:26:54 am: Wow indeed!
Title: Re: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: Chris Calohan on January 25, 2020, 10:05:35 am: Now here's a man who really loves his astrophotography....it is indeed WOW-WOW-WOW!
Title: Re: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: Alan Klein on January 25, 2020, 11:06:55 am: That's really great. I live in NJ and can't get a decent view of the stars on a good night. You're lucky living in God's country. Watching them up close must be a very spiritual experience for you.
Title: Re: First Image from My Observatory - The Rosette Nebula
Post by: PeterAit on January 25, 2020, 11:24:35 am: Absolutely fantastic! I love astronomical images but have always left it to the pros. But that seems to describe you!