Getting close to Pickering's Triangle with a RASA

[gorann]

Inspired by recent posts by @tomato revealing how a RASA8 can be used also to image rather small objects, and also inspired by the recent excellent EdgeHD11 image of Pickering's Triangle by @Rodd, I had a look at my RASA8 image of the Western Veil area and what Pickering's Triangle would look like when zoomed in. Here is the result. Not bad IMHO although not really of the quality delivered by Rood's 11" SCT, especially regarding the stars. But then the RASA also delivered a wide field image as a bonus.

Imaged under a full moon and with IDAS NBZ dual-band filter (Ha + Oiii) and ASI2600MC, 11.5 hours.

Cheers, Göran

[Kon]

Excellent image and the closeup has a nice 3d depth to it.

[Roy Foreman]

Nice image, I particularly like the colour balance.

[clarkpm4242]

Now that has inspired me!  How long were the subs?  Thanks, Paul.

[Rodd]

This supports what I said in a previous discussion, that the RASA (or hyperstar) is not the best tool for close in shots or imaging small targets (for close in presentation).  Both of these are wider field imaging tools that excel at picking up faint stuff. It is difficult to combine wide FOV with high resolution. 
 

My dream is a big aperture scope with a big corrected FOV with a fast focal ratio and small spot size equipped with a huge sensor with tiny pixels. Imagine having a full image of the veil complex that you could zoom in to the point similar to the C11 FOV of Pickering triangle—or even further and have it look as sharp.  

[ollypenrice]

3 hours ago, Rodd said:

 

My dream is a big aperture scope with a big corrected FOV with a fast focal ratio and small spot size equipped with a huge sensor with tiny pixels. Imagine having a full image of the veil complex that you could zoom in to the point similar to the C11 FOV of Pickering triangle—or even further and have it look as sharp.  

Appropriately enough, given the name, you might like Bart Delsaert's 16 inch F3.75 Dream Telescope. It's located not far from me. Indeed, when he bought this observatory I bought his Mesu, now in the capable hands of Goran. Small world. 

https://delsaert.com/observatory/remote-controlled-observatory/

Olly

[gorann]

18 hours ago, Kon said:

Excellent image and the closeup has a nice 3d depth to it.

 

15 hours ago, Roy Foreman said:

Nice image, I particularly like the colour balance.

Thanks a lot Kon and Roy, much appreciated!

[gorann]

15 hours ago, clarkpm4242 said:

Now that has inspired me!  How long were the subs?  Thanks, Paul.

Thanks a lot Paul! 229 x 3 min subs. More details here: https://www.astrobin.com/ja0aqw/B/

[gorann]

13 hours ago, Rodd said:

This supports what I said in a previous discussion, that the RASA (or hyperstar) is not the best tool for close in shots or imaging small targets (for close in presentation).  Both of these are wider field imaging tools that excel at picking up faint stuff. It is difficult to combine wide FOV with high resolution. 
 

My dream is a big aperture scope with a big corrected FOV with a fast focal ratio and small spot size equipped with a huge sensor with tiny pixels. Imagine having a full image of the veil complex that you could zoom in to the point similar to the C11 FOV of Pickering triangle—or even further and have it look as sharp.  

Yes, there are scopes like that but they belong to NASA or ESA😆

Of course the main advantage with a RASA is it extraordinary  to catch the faint stuff. I am sure it would have done more of that in my Veil image if not the moon had been at 100%.

My point, and that of for example @tomato , is that a RASA image can take quite a bit of zooming in and cropping. Wide filed is of course also nice for many objects but that can also be done with a small refractor.

When astrodarkness returns here I will start testing Hyperstar-imaging with my EdgeHD11. Maybe something for you to test Rodd?

[gorann]

10 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

Appropriately enough, given the name, you might like Bart Delsaert's 16 inch F3.75 Dream Telescope. It's located not far from me. Indeed, when he bought this observatory I bought his Mesu, now in the capable hands of Goran. Small world. 

https://delsaert.com/observatory/remote-controlled-observatory/

Olly

Olly, I would not mind that scope, but then I had a look at the Dreamscope's web pages. Their 16" is the smallest they make, so why stop at that and not go for their 32" f/2.4 Hypergraph?

http://www.dreamscopes.com/pages/projects-04/newt-astro-32.htm

Edited July 14, 2023 by gorann

[ollypenrice]

17 minutes ago, gorann said:

Olly, I would not mind that scope, but then I had a look at the Dreamscope's web pages. Their 16" is the smallest they make, so why stop at that and not go for their 32" f/2.4 Hypergraph?

http://www.dreamscopes.com/pages/projects-04/newt-astro-32.htm

Come on, Rodd, step up!!!

lly

[tomato]

Here is my contribution from historic data, just 171 mins with the RASA8/NBZ combination. I don't think it would stand more of a crop than this, but then again, a lot more of the subject was captured in the full FOV.

[Rodd]

6 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

Come on, Rodd, step up!!!

lly

I would be lying if I told you I don't want to.   Maybe someday.

[Rodd]

6 hours ago, gorann said:

Maybe something for you to test Rodd?

Not likely, I am afraid.  If I was going to dive into it, the RASA would be the way I would go, I think.  To tell the truth, though, I need more than a day or two a month of clear sky to contemplate any change--including switching out my own scope.  I bought the new .99x flattener for the TOA almost a year ago and I still haven't used it.  I get so little imaging time, I can't afford to lose any (even if it means imaging a big target with an itsy bitsy sensor and very restricted light cone.  The tough think about RASA or Hyperstar is that it would require getting a new camera and new filters.  It seems I have painted myself into a corner!

[gorann]

On 14/07/2023 at 15:44, Rodd said:

Not likely, I am afraid.  If I was going to dive into it, the RASA would be the way I would go, I think.  To tell the truth, though, I need more than a day or two a month of clear sky to contemplate any change--including switching out my own scope.  I bought the new .99x flattener for the TOA almost a year ago and I still haven't used it.  I get so little imaging time, I can't afford to lose any (even if it means imaging a big target with an itsy bitsy sensor and very restricted light cone.  The tough think about RASA or Hyperstar is that it would require getting a new camera and new filters.  It seems I have painted myself into a corner!

Well, in any case you keep on producing excellent images with the kits you have Rodd, and those are certainly not bad kits!