Elephant Trunk collaboration with Ha lum

[gorann]

This is an evolution of an image containing my RGB data (http://www.astrobin.com/266253/) to which Ole Alexander Ødegaard (aka Xplode) kindly allowed me to add his Ha data (http://www.astrobin.com/264601/). So, a mix of 5" apo refractor and 12" Newtonean attached to Canon DSLRs (a mono modded 6D for the Ha). Altogether 4 hours. I have posted the data previously but this version is quite different since I now used the Ha data as an extra luminosity layer, which sharpened the stars and emphasizes the nebula a bit more (although for the "head" of the nebula I only used the RGB data as it somehow looked better). I did have to try different tricks to shrink the stars in my RGB data to fit with the tight stars in the Ha data (to avoid coloured rings around them). I ended up using several rounds of Astronomy Tools star shrink action and Dust & Scratches in PS on the RGB data. The result is far from perfect so please do not zoom in too much.

I think this image has a christmasy feeling to it for some reason. So a Merry Christmas to you all (and particularly Ole Alexander) from Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef. This is a place absolutely free from light pollution and mostly free from clouds so it is slightly frustrating not to have brought any AP stuff.

Comments and suggestions most welcome!

 

[MikeODay]

Lovely image with wonderful colours.

[wimvb]

Lovely indeed

God jul och gott nytt år.

[MARS1960]

Very Christmasy and very very nice.

[gorann]

15 hours ago, mike005 said:

Lovely image with wonderful colours.

 

6 hours ago, wimvb said:

Lovely indeed

God jul och gott nytt år.

 

5 hours ago, MARS1960 said:

Very Christmasy and very very nice.

Thank you guys and Merry Christmas!

[Adam J]

I love this image for me it sits well between the natural look of pure RGB and the more artificial look of narrow band.

The only thing I am curious about is the dashed or dotted diffraction spikes as I have never seen that effect before, is it an artifact of combining the different data sets?

[gorann]

12 minutes ago, Adam J said:

I love this image for me it sits well between the natural look of pure RGB and the more artificial look of narrow band.

The only thing I am curious about is the dashed or dotted diffraction spikes as I have never seen that effect before, is it an artifact of combining the different data sets?

Thanks Adam!

The diffraction spikes came with the Ha that was collected with a Newtonean (no spikes in the RGB since it was collected with a refractor). Regarding the dotted spikes there was a recent discussion about this on SGL so it is apparently not that unusual and probably caused by interference using NB filters, see:

 

[Adam J]

21 minutes ago, gorann said:

Thanks Adam!

The diffraction spikes came with the Ha that was collected with a Newtonean (no spikes in the RGB since it was collected with a refractor). Regarding the dotted spikes there was a recent discussion about this on SGL so it is apparently not that unusual and probably caused by interference using NB filters, see:

 

That is interesting ill take a look at that thread. I wonder if it has to be some specific harmonic though as its not an effect I have seen myself with my 130PDS and a 7nm Baader H-a.

Edited December 25, 2016 by Adam J

[gorann]

25 minutes ago, Adam J said:

That is interesting ill take a look at that thread. I wonder if it has to be some specific harmonic though as its not an effect I have seen myself with my 130PDS and a 7nm Baader H-a.

That is exactly the filter Ole Alexander used for the Ha, but he had quite a different scope (a very fast TS 12" Newtonean f/3.8) which in combination with the filter may somehow cause of the interference.