Cone Neb, Xmas Tree Cluster & Fox Fur neb in HST

[ChrisLX200]

Three clear nights in a row with no Moon to interfere - how often can we say that happens? It has enabled me to capture the data I wanted instead of having to make do with a partial dataset. This is my HST palette rendering of the area surrounding the Xmas Tree Cluster, using PixInsight has helped a lot in the flexibility it offers for colour mapping. This jpg is a poor rendering of the full size TIF image but at 96MB that is tricky to post online

Scope: TV NP127is, CCD: Moravian G4-16000, Filters: Chroma 3nM (Ha, SII and OIII), Mount: 10-Micron GM2000HPS-II.  Data: 12x1200s Ha, 10x1800s OIII, 12x1200s SII (all unguided).

http://s970.photobucket.com/user/ChrisLX200/media/Astro - Images G4-16000/ngc2261 Cone HST_zps1eswbgn1.jpg.html

ChrisH

[Maximidius]

Absolutely amazing image. Do you have all that gear in an observatory or is it portable and if so, do you set-up and break-down every time you go out ? I just did a price check on the listed equipment. I passed out, just recovered - almost  lol. 

[ChrisLX200]

Just now, Maximidius said:

Absolutely amazing image. Do you have all that gear in an observatory or is it portable and if so, do you set-up and break-down every time you go out ? I just did a price check on the listed equipment. I passed out, just recovered - almost  lol. 

Thanks for looking!

and LOL the mount stays outside on a pier - underneath a waterproof cover (no observatory). Scope has to be set up each night but it only takes about 10 minutes.

[gorann]

Fantastic image, Congratulations!

I hope your local criminals do not figure out how much that thing underneath the waterproof cover is worth.......

[Tim]

That's a blinder Chris! Looks perfect in the square format too. The colours you have chosen work really well. Fabulous image

[Trevor N]

Spot on. Lovely image

[ChrisLX200]

Thanks Folks, glad you liked it

5 hours ago, gorann said:

Fantastic image, Congratulations!

I hope your local criminals do not figure out how much that thing underneath the waterproof cover is worth.......

Thanks Gorann, but the base mount would be, shall we say, 'difficult' to remove, and even if achieved also entirely useless without the control box which is stored indoors, and it's impossible to get a replacement - as the registered owner only I could do that direct from 10-Micron (the control box contains a firmware mapping of the required error corrections callibrated for the specific pair of absolute encoders in my mount - that's done at the factory).

ChrisH

[andyo]

Fantastic image

[PatrickGilliland]

Sumptuous sums that up!  Framing really helps present the structures. Very nice.

Paddy

[laudropb]

Terrific image. Lovely detail captured.

[Barry-Wilson]

Your great optics really deliver on this image Chris - sharp and crisp.  I love the colour palette and the contrast it brings; quite a light feeling without sacrificing depth.  Top drawer!

Your corrector is working well too, perhaps a hint off in the top left corner.  Any idea why?

[Owmuchonomy]

Very subtle.  I like that. I was visual on this last night picking out the 'V' of the brightest stars with my ED80 before the freezing fog rolled in.  You have kept the stars well under control, which in this case appeals to me.  Well worth all your time put into it. Top drawer.

[ChrisLX200]

Thanks again for your kind comments!

 

35 minutes ago, Barry-Wilson said:

Your great optics really deliver on this image Chris - sharp and crisp.  I love the colour palette and the contrast it brings; quite a light feeling without sacrificing depth.  Top drawer!

Your corrector is working well too, perhaps a hint off in the top left corner.  Any idea why?

Hi Barry, I suspect the spacing is not perfect for one thing - I measured the distance crudely and it seemed to be within a mm or two so thought I'd just try it with the existing spacer, this was the result. There may also be a small amount of tilt remaining, with this size sensor (37mm square) and the steep light cone @ f/5.2 you can imagine how critical it is to get the orthogonality precisely correct - we're talking microns from one edge to the other over a 52mm diameter image circle for the corners. I'm just relying on the machining I did (to produce all threaded ocnnectors) to guarantee that rather than attempt to use a tilt corrector. The focuser I maintain racked almost all the way in. It almost works

ChrisH

[StuartJPP]

Looks excellent, I though I wasn't much of an NB fan but these types of images sway me.

[Davey-T]

A real christmas cracker Chris, had three clear nights here plus 97% humidity and freezing fog so all my data has gone in the bin, clear tonight and setup but looks even worse ATM.

Dave