omega centauri The globular star cluster Omega Centauri ( NGC 5139 ) - a new image ( updated June 3rd )

[MikeODay]

Update: 3rd June

Re-processed to remove slight magenta tint caused by the non-uniform removal of light pollution by the DBE process ( it was being fooled by the very bright image centre ).

The globular star cluster Omega Centauri ( NGC 5139 ) in Centaurus ( please click / tap on image to see larger and sharper )

A full size image can be found  here.

 

original below
.....

A newly captured ( May 2018 ) image of the great southern globular star cluster, Omega Centauri ( NGC 5139 )

Omega Centauri ( NGC 5139 ) in Centaurus - ( please click / tap image to see larger and sharper )
A full size ( ~ 6000 x 4000 ) image can be found here 

....... 

This image is an attempt to look deeply into the mighty Omega Centauri star cluster and, by using HDR techniques, record as many of its faint members as possible whilst capturing and bringing out the colours of the stars, including in the core.

Image details:

Resolution ........ 0.586 arcsec/px ( full size image )
Rotation .......... 0.00 deg ( up is North )
Focal ............. 1375.99 mm
Pixel size ........ 3.91 um
Field of view ..... 58' 20.9" x 38' 55.1"
Image center ...... RA: 13 26 45.065 Dec: -47 28 27.26

Telescope: Orion Optics CT12 Newtonian ( mirror 300mm, fl 1200mm, f4 ).
Corrector: ASA 2" Coma Corrector Quattro 1.175x.
Effective Focal Length / Aperture : 1470mm f4.7

Mount: Skywatcher Eq8
Guiding: TSOAG9 Off-Axis-Guider, Starlight Xpress Lodestar X2, PHD2 

Camera:
Nikon D5300 (unmodified) (sensor 23.5 x 15.6mm, 6016x4016 3.9um pixels)\

Location:
Blue Mountains, Australia 
Moderate light pollution ( pale green zone on darksitefinder.com map )

Capture ( May 2018 )
8 sets of sub-images with exposure duration for each set doubling ( 2s to 240s ) all at ISO 250.

Processing:
Calibration: master bias, master flat and master dark
Integration in 8 sets
HDR combination 

Pixinsight May 2018

 

[Grimbles]

A really beautiful image.

[Sunshine]

That is just about the most stupendous image of a globular i've seen period! amateur or giant observatory included, awe inspiring really!

So rich in detail i actually took a magnifying glass to my computer screen and enjoyed spotting the most delicate tiny pinpoints of stars, amazing.

[Eastman]

Wow......what a amazing picture Mike, nice colours and needle point tiny stars. I really like this glob, have to see it in real time someday.

If there's a planet in there, will it ever get dark.

[Adreneline]

Amazing image. Congratulations on a great capture and some top-notch processing.

Adrian

[MartinFransson]

Now there's a mindblowing image! My god, it's full of stars! 

[Stu]

I can only echo previous sentiments Mike, what an incredible achievement. The beat image I have seen of this from any source I think. Thanks for posting it up  

[Allinthehead]

Stunning Mike. Hard to beat your last effort on this but you have.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Superb image!

[fireballxl5]

Great image and A+ for the processing effort!

[wimvb]

Another fine globular from down under. You really know how to get the best out of these.

How many subs per exposure time do you use? (In other words: I must try this myself once it gets dark again. ?)

[Mr Spock]

Stunning image. I've not seen anything better than this.

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Wow, intense or what. That is really an amazing target and a superb image. Many thanks for posting 

Steve

[goodricke1]

Very jealous of you southerners... magnificent image!

[MikeODay]

7 hours ago, Grimbles said:

A really beautiful image.

 

6 hours ago, Sunshine said:

That is just about the most stupendous image of a globular i've seen period! amateur or giant observatory included, awe inspiring really!

So rich in detail i actually took a magnifying glass to my computer screen and enjoyed spotting the most delicate tiny pinpoints of stars, amazing.

 

5 hours ago, Eastman said:

Wow......what a amazing picture Mike, nice colours and needle point tiny stars. I really like this glob, have to see it in real time someday.

If there's a planet in there, will it ever get dark.

 

4 hours ago, Adreneline said:

Amazing image. Congratulations on a great capture and some top-notch processing.

Adrian

 

4 hours ago, MartinFransson said:

Now there's a mindblowing image! My god, it's full of stars! 

 

4 hours ago, Stu said:

I can only echo previous sentiments Mike, what an incredible achievement. The beat image I have seen of this from any source I think. Thanks for posting it up  

 

3 hours ago, Allinthehead said:

Stunning Mike. Hard to beat your last effort on this but you have.

 

3 hours ago, michael.h.f.wilkinson said:

Superb image!

 

3 hours ago, fireballxl5 said:

Great image and A+ for the processing effort!

 

2 hours ago, wimvb said:

Another fine globular from down under. You really know how to get the best out of these.

How many subs per exposure time do you use? (In other words: I must try this myself once it gets dark again. ?)

 

2 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

Stunning image. I've not seen anything better than this.

 

2 hours ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

Wow, intense or what. That is really an amazing target and a superb image. Many thanks for posting 

Steve

 

2 hours ago, goodricke1 said:

Very jealous of you southerners... magnificent image!

 

 

Thank you all very much for your very kind comments - I am so pleased you liked my new image.

Cheers

Mike

 

 

[MikeODay]

2 hours ago, wimvb said:

Another fine globular from down under. You really know how to get the best out of these.

How many subs per exposure time do you use? (In other words: I must try this myself once it gets dark again. ?)

Hey Wim, from 10 to 20 for the shorter subs ( 2s to 120s ) and around 25 or so for the 240s subs.  All at 250ISO and with an effective aperture of f4.7.  My practice recently is to capture around the same number for the shorter subs but I try to get more than 60 for the 240s subs if i can - I can not remember now why I stopped at 25 ( smoke, clouds, moon, etc. have all been troublesome over the past few attempts, so one of those! )

[Barry-Wilson]

Spectacular image Mike - carefully acquired and very well processed.

Top drawer ?.

[wimvb]

I really long for astro-brightness to come to an end. This image makes me want to start hunting globulars. [Sigh] Three more months to go.

[Sunshine]

Your image is now my new desktop background, i often search Hubble and large ground based observatory images online for new desktop backgrounds but this globular shot rivals those!

[MikeODay]

14 hours ago, Barry-Wilson said:

Spectacular image Mike - carefully acquired and very well processed.

Top drawer ?.

 

14 hours ago, wimvb said:

I really long for astro-brightness to come to an end. This image makes me want to start hunting globulars. [Sigh] Three more months to go.

 

9 hours ago, Sunshine said:

Your image is now my new desktop background, i often search Hubble and large ground based observatory images online for new desktop backgrounds but this globular shot rivals those!

Thanks guys, that is very kind of you.

Cheers

Mike

[Mark at Beaufort]

Mike that is an incredible photo of this lovely Globular. I had a life ambition to see this DSO and a few weeks ago I was in California and I was a guest of an Astronomy Society. I viewed this Glob on top of a mountain using a 17.5" Newtonian and your fantastic photo brought this memory back to life. 

So thanks Mike for posting. Its already been stated this is one of the best images of this Glob I have ever seen.

[MikeODay]

10 minutes ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

Mike that is an incredible photo of this lovely Globular. I had a life ambition to see this DSO and a few weeks ago I was in California and I was a guest of an Astronomy Society. I viewed this Glob on top of a mountain using a 17.5" Newtonian and your fantastic photo brought this memory back to life. 

So thanks Mike for posting. Its already been stated this is one of the best images of this Glob I have ever seen.

Thank you Mark, much appreciated.   I have never seen it in the 'flesh', so to speak ... could you see any colour with the big Newtonian from up on the mountain?

[Mark at Beaufort]

1 hour ago, MikeODay said:

Thank you Mark, much appreciated.   I have never seen it in the 'flesh', so to speak ... could you see any colour with the big Newtonian from up on the mountain?

To be honest Mike I was so blown away with the view using a 13mm Nagler (it filled the FOV) I cannot say that I really detected any of the coloured stars. Its one of the occasions that you just want to repeat the observing session. As I said previously your fantastic photo just brought the occasion back to me.

[MikeODay]

Thanks Mark.  

If it were not for the pain of having to re-align the scope and re-take flats I would take my camera off and look through to see what it really looks like!  

Some guys apparently set up another scope to look through while the camera clicks away - perhaps I should consider that some more :)

[MarsG76]

Wow, awesome... this is a really nice image.. great res...