Weird streaks on Lulin image

[michaelmorris]

I've just processed my first ever attempt at Cometary imaging with my new Canon1000D. I am VERY new to this whole DSO imaging game. AS you can see I have some 'swirly thing' all over the image.

The image is 20 x 60 sec subs taken through an orion 80ED with n Astronomik CLS filter in the Canon 1000D. Processing in Deep SkyStacker and Photoshop.

Given the bright flare that is clearly vsisble in th cvomet nuclues where one of these streaks cuts across the coma, it's my guess this is something physical, not a processing artefact (but of course I could be completely wrong on that!).

If it is something physical, would it only be the camera sensor, CLS filter or telescope objective. I can't see these markings on any other pictures, but then again they haven't been processed anything like as much.

Any ideas gratefully recieved.

[barkis]

Looks as though something has exploded out of the comet and fragmented. Maybe a small meteor has collided with it.

Certainly very interesting. A case of watch this space I reckon.

The comet is beeing Imaged all over the world, so this is bound to cause speculation. That is if it is associated. Looks quite feasable to me.

Ron.

[Doc]

Sorry but I'm not convinced that it is a colision.

How many major collisions does the earth have. And we are thousands time bigger then Lulin. The chances that Lulin collided with another asteroid/meteroite are astronomical.

And are you sure it's not a touch of lens flare as the moon was about then.

I hope I'm wrong and as Ron said watch this space.

[michaelmorris]

And for you sure it's not a touch of lens flare as the moon was about then.

Lens flare sounds more plausible to me. Would lens flare really give these artefacts?

[Doc]

I'm no expert but if the moon was the right angle to the eyepiece lens flare does occur.

How this appears I'm not quite sure.

[barkis]

My proposed possible explanation does seem preposterous.

I am intrigued by the bright spot in the comets centre, from which some of the arcs are emanating. Too uniform in appearance also I might add. I await the outcome of this mystery, but a simple explanation is going to be found I think.

Ron.

[jgs001]

Micheal, what happens if you stretch the histogram in a big way on a single image, do those streaks still show ? If not, then it's artefacts of the stacking process. I noticed I got some weird effects on my Lulin stack that I don't normally see stacking similar length subs.

[Ben Ritchie]

I'm a bit uncertain about the details, but i've seen odd diffraction spikes caused by lens spacers (I think in both 80EDs and WO 'scopes, but that's very vague memory). Do you get the same effect if you image and stretch a bright star?

[Dave]

Hi Michael

Try processing some of your other images to the same extent.

The Moon was likely to have spilt light into the lens and when the background is removed you could end up with these swirl effects. I had similar concentric "Newton Ring" type effects on my astro images caused by vignetting, and I only resolved this recently by changing to 2" camera fittings.

[Astroscot2]

Ive seen the same effect visualy when viewing through an eyepiece and there is a bright light near the object im viewing, streetlight reflection maybe ??