Deep Deep Deep Images, Quasars

[m000c400]

Hi All,

Attached are a couple of pictures from a few nights ago that I though were interesting to share.

These come from my folder of "Show your mates/wife/husband, tell them what it is, watch it compute for quite a while and then say .. whoooooow" 

The first is Quasar APM 08279+5255

The little marked smudge appears to be a long way away by any standards. I haven't quite got my head round cosmological distances, but in the pub the phrases "26.. Billion.. Light Years", "Edge of the observable universe" and "beginning of time?" seems to make it all go quiet for a bit.  More details here.

 

After this I moved on to another similar object.

Another Quasar, but as you can see in the inset, a figure of 8 shape. This is because it is two views of the same object caused by gravitational lensing by a galaxy between us and the object.

again more details here

 

Equipment used was relatively modest, SW150p on EQ5 with a home made Goto, plus a 'pre-loved' Nikon D5100.

Both pictures are from roughly 10x5min exposures and both are currently well placed in the sky if anyone else fancies a go.

These may not be the most technically impressive, but I think they are the most thought provoking images I've taken so far.

After these I moved onto 5 hours on M101..... and that was a complete blurry, noisy, grey rubbish mess, and has all gone in the digital bin. But overall a good night

 

Mike

 

[Paul73]

Great post. Yes. It certainly gets you thinking.....

what sort of mag are these objects?

Paul

 

[m000c400]

I think 15 for the first and 16 for the second

[abhoriel]

Wow.. you've imaged the effects of gravitational lensing...

Very fascinating images. I need to learn more cosmology

[Paul73]

1 hour ago, m000c400 said:

I think 15 for the first and 16 for the second

A bit toooo deep for my Dob then!?

It is amazing to think that the quasar is so bright that we can't even see the giant eliptical Galaxy that is causing the lensing effect.

paul

[laudropb]

Very good captures and certainly food for thought.

[Tangoringo]

Blimey. I thought gravitational lensing was the stuff of the big boys. Great capture Mike.

ps like the avatar. Where do you fly?

Ian

[ollypenrice]

Great stuff and a nicely orignal post.

Olly

[gorann]

Fascinating!

How did you identify (and find!) these small dots?

[Owmuchonomy]

Excellent work Mike.  I must put these on my list.  Here is a little blog I did after recently imaging Quasar CTA102. 

 

[Shibby]

I can tell you that my wife would probably NOT be impressed by the images - but I certainly am!  Well done on splitting the double quasar, it must be nice to say you imaged something so old & distant.

[tony210]

Great post and images -reality stranger than fiction I think - also my wife would not be impressed but she does tend to look at my latest much processed galaxy image and say with a sigh ... "not another grey thing! "- Tony

[laser_jock99]

Great images and food for thought.

Reminds me of the 'Hubble Deep Field Challenge' a few of us attempted a couple of years back- recording magnitude 22.5 objects with amateur equipment!

[m000c400]

On 13/03/2017 at 19:56, Tangoringo said:

Blimey. I thought gravitational lensing was the stuff of the big boys. Great capture Mike.

ps like the avatar. Where do you fly?

Ian

Thanks... In fact where I fly is also shown ;-)  I'm sort of lucky as I'm walking distance to Gransden Lodge, so I've got easy access to a safe, flat open and relatively dark site ( for the south of England ).. with a bar, mains electricity and internet, but how many times do you think I've done it?  Just once!!  

On 13/03/2017 at 21:37, gorann said:

Fascinating!

How did you identify (and find!) these small dots?

This set was inspired by reading a few sites detailing some more 'exotic' deep sky object to try for. Once I was inspired and with some pictures taken it's a case of comparing with published pictures and 'star hopping' your image to work out which smudge is the one you are after.

20 hours ago, laser_jock99 said:

Great images and food for thought.

Reminds me of the 'Hubble Deep Field Challenge' a few of us attempted a couple of years back- recording magnitude 22.5 objects with amateur equipment!

I did try that myself once.... But after a few goes I eventually decided that it was a bit of a stretch for a SW150, but that was a few years back, and I'd like to think I have got better since then... so maybe I should try again!!   

[Paul M]

Very impressive work in an unusual imaging niche. I can spend ages just staring at your images and wondering...

Thanks for sharing.