m84 wide field

[alacant]

Hi everyone

I'm always disappointed with this region. I thought more data would help, but disappointingly, adding more frames on night two gave very little extra; maybe a little more detail emerging in the spirals, but little else. I suppose that with an aperture of only 70mm, I ought not to be expecting miracles, but seven hours to get only this?

We've a visit due from a Hyperstar. I'm gonna see if I can get my hands on that and compare.

Tips, advice and -especially- your examples of this area of the sky most welcome. Maybe you've already tried with a Hyperstar? Even better, as I've zero hands-on with them; disaster waiting to happen territory.

Thanks for looking.

ubuntu 22.04 siril 1.3.0a st 1.9.565 dt 3.8.1

[Elp]

I did it last year but only 20m per panel (of 9) and gave up trying to capture blue. I do have something in the pipeline however...

[Elp]

I was planning on adding the data to this:

 

 

[alacant]

4 hours ago, Elp said:

adding the data to this

Phew. Amazing effort. Alas my mosaic expertise runs only to a two frame image of the moon with an old orange tube Celestron. Nine panel without craters, I'd stand no chance!

Not sure where you are, but it's quite well positioned ATM from 38N. Do keep us posted.

Edited April 6 by alacant

[Elp]

Thanks. As with watching Orion sink lower and lower during winter I'm left looking at Leo sink lower and lower during the summer as my south is restricted by rooflines. I'd definitely need to start it now. The 2-3 hour non astro darkness nights don't help but I usually don't stop imaging and do it all year around. It's quite pleasant being outside during the warmer weather.

The main issue I found with trying a mosaic with a HS is you then need to be very stringent on your backspacing and tilt adjustment, just like my above image you'll get issues with misshapen stars at the edges which makes for a lot of work trying to combine panels. I guess with RC tools its an option of cheating through this issue rather than spending time fine tuning things. The HS also isn't particularly sharp for small galaxies (depends on the size, hence resolution and FL of the SCT), for getting signal on emission targets however it's a completely different beast and OSC imaging multiple targets in one long night becomes possible.

[Fegato]

I like it. Not sure there's much more detail to be found than that. Amazing just to contemplate all those galaxies...

[TiffsAndAstro]

Smilie face is my plan for tonight on a evlox 72ed possibly auto guided and unmodded dslr. I'm not good enough to attempt mosaics yet though

Can post my results if you think it could be any use to you?

[alacant]

1 hour ago, TiffsAndAstro said:

any use

Yes, of course. You should get a similar FOV.

Good luck with the session.

[ollypenrice]

These old ellipticals don't have much by way of interesting structure and, since we're looking out of the plane of the Milky Way, there's nothing much in our own galaxy to provide foreground interest. 'The Eyes' galaxies probably provide the most rewarding detail, with their tidal interactions.

Paul Kummer and I have it in an 8 inch RASA, so comparable with the Hyperstar.  It's a wider field mosaic so it's on the enormous side as an image but here it is. You can do the clicks for the full res if you have the patience. I think the interest in this region lies in cruising the field in search of little surprises like irregulars and little spirals. It will never be attention-grabbing eye candy, so to speak.

https://ollypenrice.smugmug.com/Other/Galaxies/i-kTDJC88/A

Olly

Edited April 7 by ollypenrice

[TiffsAndAstro]

14 hours ago, alacant said:

Yes, of course. You should get a similar FOV.

Good luck with the session.

I wasn't brave enough to risk April showers and went to bed

[Elp]

Think you may find next decent weather for imaging is around end of May and into June. It's usually the same every year.

[gorann]

I just saw this image of The Eyes on Astrobin. So there are some interesting details but you need a lot of time and a bit more focal length:

https://www.astrobin.com/v1x34t/?q=The Eyes of March - NGC 4435 and 4438

 

[alacant]

1 hour ago, TiffsAndAstro said:

April showers

If it's any consolation, here we have dense calima; Saharan sand and dust. It's like having sunset and impenetrable haze. All day🤥

[alacant]

6 minutes ago, gorann said:

lot of time

62 hours. Wow! 

[Clarkey]

3 minutes ago, gorann said:

I just saw this image of The Eyes on Astrobin. So there are some interesting details but you need a lot of time and a bit more focal length:

Mmmm. 60+ hours. This would be about 3-4 years with normal spring weather here.....

Here is my old image of the area. I think my current processing would give better results - but I was happy with the result back then. I might have another go at processing, now I know what I am doing (sort of).

[gorann]

1 minute ago, alacant said:

If it's any consolation, here we have dense calima; Saharan sand and dust. It's like having sunset and impenetrable haze. All day🤥

I would try to keep that sand of the front lens🤔

[alacant]

52 minutes ago, Clarkey said:

old image of the area

Thanks. Yeah, that looks doable with the possibility of more detail over my 360mm.

Guessing around 1000mm? I've a gso203 to fix for the weekend. That may just be enough push to remove the procrastination stage; it's been sitting there since December.

Edited April 8 by alacant

[TiffsAndAstro]

1 hour ago, Clarkey said:

Mmmm. 60+ hours. This would be about 3-4 years with normal spring weather here.....

Here is my old image of the area. I think my current processing would give better results - but I was happy with the result back then. I might have another go at processing, now I know what I am doing (sort of).

This is scientifically a better image.

Because smilie face

[tomato]

On 06/04/2024 at 15:56, alacant said:

Hi everyone

I'm always disappointed with this region. I thought more data would help, but disappointingly, adding more frames on night two gave very little extra; maybe a little more detail emerging in the spirals, but little else. I suppose that with an aperture of only 70mm, I ought not to be expecting miracles, but seven hours to get only this?

We've a visit due from a Hyperstar. I'm gonna see if I can get my hands on that and compare.

Tips, advice and -especially- your examples of this area of the sky most welcome. Maybe you've already tried with a Hyperstar? Even better, as I've zero hands-on with them; disaster waiting to happen territory.

Thanks for looking.

ubuntu 22.04 siril 1.3.0a st 1.9.565 dt 3.8.1

Only this? I guess it depends on your point of view, on the one hand you have a lot of featureless “faint fuzzies” but on the other those distant galaxies provide tangible markers on the otherwise incomprehensible depth of space that resides in your excellent image, each one an island universe in its own right. Complimenting these multiple galaxies of all shape and sizes, there are a myriad of super sized black holes, a plasma jet, each patch of diffuse light is made up of countless suns harbouring equally countless planetary systems perhaps some with life on them including civilisations, some maybe hundreds of thousands years older than ours and others which have no doubt turned back to sand.
 

I therefore propose that your image knocks any bit of photogenic gas and dust into a cocked hat, but that’s just my opinion.😉

[alacant]

46 minutes ago, tomato said:

photogenic gas and dust

Yes, that. I suppose that which the galaxies lose in instant wow factor, they make up for with their thought provocation.

Cheers 

[ollypenrice]

8 hours ago, alacant said:

If it's any consolation, here we have dense calima; Saharan sand and dust. It's like having sunset and impenetrable haze. All day🤥

Coming our way, too. We had a good dump of it last week, though not as bad as in your image.

 

8 hours ago, gorann said:

I just saw this image of The Eyes on Astrobin. So there are some interesting details but you need a lot of time and a bit more focal length:

https://www.astrobin.com/v1x34t/?q=The Eyes of March - NGC 4435 and 4438

 

OK, I think that one's nailed it! 

Olly

[tomato]

8 hours ago, gorann said:

I just saw this image of The Eyes on Astrobin. So there are some interesting details but you need a lot of time and a bit more focal length:

https://www.astrobin.com/v1x34t/?q=The Eyes of March - NGC 4435 and 4438

 

If ever an image demonstrated that a large refractor can nail an image of a small galaxy, this must be it. 
 

But 62.5 hrs from Deep Sky West helps.

[alacant]

On 08/04/2024 at 11:49, alacant said:

62 hours. Wow! 

Inspired by @Clarkey's excellent zoomed in image above...

Couldn't manage 62 hours -not nearly enough beer- alas just five; 203mm f5. It makes seven hours with the 70mm f6 look decidedly lacking.
This must be because f5 is faster than f6. (Sorry. Couldn't resist!) 

Edited April 13 by alacant