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Sharpless 2-129 or the Flying Bat nebula - A tricky mosaic

swag72

By swag72
in Imaging - Deep Sky

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swag72

swag72

Posted
Posted

I have ummed and ahhed about posting this image. It's in a place where I am reasonably happy with it, but it's taken me so many hours to get to this stage in processing time alone. This has been in the capture process for over two weeks and it has taken over my life in the last day or two!

Sh2-129 is often called the Flying Bat nebula. From my reading everyone says that this is a massive nebula and very faint as well. These two adjectives really should have put me off!!! Close to IC1396 it often gets overlooked, which I think is a shame as it's a really interesting image.

This is a 3x2 mosaic, totalling 82 subs in total. It was very difficult to stitch together and the faint stuff was a killer to keep. It was all too easy to lose it in gradient removal mayhem. Also there's very few images of the complete nebula on the net, so little to compare it with. But I'm happy that what I have got now is supposed to be there!!!

Details:

M: HEQ5

T: Takahashi FSQ85 0.73x

C: Atik 460EX mono with 3nm Astrodon Ha filter

82x1800s subs in total and almost as many hours in processing time!

I welcome your comments regarding anything you see and think could be improved :smiley:

post-5681-0-58454600-1373483889_thumb.jp

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

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If there's a better Bat out there I haven't seen it. This is phenomenally deep and contrasty. I've imaged it myself in exactly the same optics and an Atik 4000/Baader 7Nm. That was in a single frame but with smaller FOV and 18x15 minutes. Sara's image has vastly better contrast and more signal and is showing wonderful extensions and subtleties.

Clearly Paul and I need a LOT more Ha for our 1396 to Bat project. Without this image we might never have known.

Olly

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SnakeyJ

SnakeyJ

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Stunning image and demonstration of sheer determination/commitment Sarah. If Steve and Olly don't offer comment on improving the processing, I think you've got to be spot on! Perhaps a well earned break on this target, then possibly add some more data next year?

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swag72

swag72

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Thank you for your comments, they are much appreciated.

@ Earl - I do agree that extra data would improve the SNR, but I just had to finish it before it finished me! A couple of panes did get double the amount of subs as I felt that the noise was too high.

@Gina - Have a look http://galaxymap.org/cgi-bin/sharpless.py?s=1 this gives you informtaion on each Sharpless object. Also this one is very good, with better images http://www.sharplesscatalog.com/

@Steve - I agree about this being a fascinating object. My all time favourite though is Simeis 147 (I am dreading doing this one!!!)

@Fay - Thank you Fay

@Olly - Thanks Olly. It was so difficult to know what really was there when there was so little to compare it to. The head of the bat is imaged more, and I think it does look more like a bat when it's less deep!

@Jake - Thank you Jake andif you think that there is something that could be improved / changed with the processing then your point is extremely valid.

@Tom - Cheers Tom, it was the 'new' Ha dust that gave me a headache!

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swag72

swag72

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Thanks Francis, Nathan and Mark! I often have bats flying around me, but they are quiet and they don;t look anything like this one!!

Thanks Lewis - I definitely think that the "lion" will be next on my list!

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davew

davew

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Just out of idle curiosity I searched for " SH2-129 Nebula " on Bing. Already this is No2 on the list !!

A great show of mental determination and skill. There are one or two darker lanes showing on this image that just don't appear on most others.

I love the " Body " detail in the Bat. There's even a mini NAN in there.

Smooth enough for me and worth leaving for now I think.

Next.......

Dave.

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swag72

swag72

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Cheers Dave - I think blumming minded determination won the day here!!

Next? ......... A change from what I was planning, I think another Sharpless target is calling me, but preferably one that can be done in one pane :smiley:

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x6gas

x6gas

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I'll leave aside the fact that - for me - the object looks nothing like a bat...

What an absolute stunner. I bet that would look amazing in HaRGB but that would probably be enough to cause a nervous breakdown!

The time has paid off Sara and this looks terrific.

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johnrt

johnrt

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FSQ85, Astrodon 3nm Ha filter and an Atik 460 + careful and delicate processing, never going to be anything less than superb. This object is perfect for the mono Ha treatment, and your image oozes class Sara. Lot's of hours and hard work here, all of it worthwhile.

When can we expect the colour version? :p

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x6gas

x6gas

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It's only just sunk in that there is over 40 hours of data here... Even with Sara's Spanish skies and the longer nights down there I think you'd be lucky to get 4 hours a night...

That probably equates to what most UK imagers have managed all year before this week!

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