M81 Area Wide Field with IFN, Greg/Noel

[Noel Carboni]

Hi All,

Been fooling with this one for a while now... Greg took 9+ hours of M81 area data in 17 minute RGB subs, and was hoping to pull out some of the integrated flux nebula (IFN) as well as the galaxies.

At first I thought we'd failed to get much of any of the IFN, and so I processed the shot to where the background was more or less smooth black. Then I was spurred-on to try for more depth from the data. It gets noisy in the dark parts, but I was able to bring out more of the IFN.

Here's the image:

http://www.ourdarkskies.com/gallery2/d/1000-2/M81_M82_Area_With_IFN_Greg_Noel_Small.jpg (http://www.ourdarkskies.com/gallery2/d/997-1/M81_M82_Area_With_IFN_Greg_Noel_Small.jpg)

Here are the more conventional versions:

http://www.ourdarkskies.com/gallery2/d/990-2/NGC3077_M81_M82_Wide_Field_Greg_Noel.jpg (http://www.ourdarkskies.com/gallery2/d/987-1/NGC3077_M81_M82_Wide_Field_Greg_Noel.jpg)

The following is a center crop of the full 6 megapixel image.
http://www.ourdarkskies.com/gallery2/d/995-2/M81_M82_Area_Center_Crop_Greg_Noel.jpg (http://www.ourdarkskies.com/gallery2/d/992-1/M81_M82_Area_Center_Crop_Greg_Noel.jpg)

As usual, click on the images to see higher resolution versions.

-Noel and Greg

[Radar]

Holy Cow! Awesome processing Noel. Any ideas what that blue blob is above M81? Also you have brought out the ionized hydrogen from the Cigar galaxy very well.

All in all, a great final product.:thumbsupmate:

[Noel Carboni]

Holy Cow! Awesome processing Noel. Any ideas what that blue blob is above M81?
Thanks. :)

That blue blob is Holmberg IX, and it always seems to come out brilliant blue. It's a satellite galaxy to M81.

-Noel

[wakaleo]

Gulp! Don't think I'll ever get to this standard Noel. Amazing - just love looking at those pics.

[phoenix]

Hey Noel

Congratulations to Greg on that magnificent pic and your processing is magic.
Keep them coming :eartoear:





Cheers Jason :pipethinker:

[Draig]

Wow Noel, your images just seem to get better & Better

What an amazing team you and Greg make.

Cheers Colin

[Strife18]

i have a question about this site. okay, i just beat the first place score on advanced curveball, and it wouldnt let me submit it. why in the world did this happen? is there a problem with the site or something?

[Radar]

Hi Strife, there is a bug in the arcade mate, it will be fixed this weekend. I just haven't had time. I love curveball, it is a hard game, and I can only imagine your disgust by not having the high score save properly.

Try logging out and back in again to the forums. When you log back in, make sure you select the "Remember Me" box. This seems to fix the issue for now.

I'll get this fixed ASAP for you mate.

Regards

Ray

[Strife18]

hey thanks for everything radar, your a good man. if there is anything i can do to help fix the problem, i will do my best.

your friend,
Strife

[Dusty]

Hi All,

Been fooling with this one for a while now... Greg took 9+ hours of M81 area data in 17 minute RGB subs, and was hoping to pull out some of the integrated flux nebula (IFN) as well as the galaxies.
As usual, click on the images to see higher resolution versions.

-Noel and Greg

Amazing work Noel and Greg, simply amazing.
In fact it's breathtaking.............

:welldone:

[wingeing Pom]

My first post to this great forum. First thank you for the great comments guys - much appreciated - yes the wingeing Pom is Greg.
Why am I wingeing? Cos I have two brothers living in Surfers Paradise Queensland - and I'm stuck in the U.K. - that's why.
All the best,
Greg

P.S. The third brother lives in New Zealand - something I said???

[Radar]

My first post to this great forum. First thank you for the great comments guys - much appreciated - yes the wingeing Pom is Greg.


Welcome to the site Greg!

And that's some nice work!

All the best :thumbsupmate:

[Draig]

My first post to this great forum. First thank you for the great comments guys - much appreciated - yes the wingeing Pom is Greg.
Why am I wingeing? Cos I have two brothers living in Surfers Paradise Queensland - and I'm stuck in the U.K. - that's why.
All the best,
Greg

P.S. The third brother lives in New Zealand - something I said???

HI Greg

and a belated welcome to the site.

If you want you can come and live here in Western Australia - we have enough poms here (both the wingeing and non-wingeing variety) to make you feel at home.

Cheers Colin

[AstroTasmania]

Hi & Big Welcome Greg,

Fantastic images from you two guys, very inspirational and thanks for sharing.

I have been here since 1968 and I say "Thanks" every day to whoever for every second of time I have enjoyed here in this island paradise.

But New Zealand, that's a bit extreme, I've heard they have lots of sheep down there...

Jokes aside, I must visit NZ one day, it looks like a magic place as well. My first Professor I had at the med school here in Hobart, was from NZ, so we had NZ posters on all the walls!!

Fantastic day yesterday, brilliant blue sky (never seen in the UK) and a mild 25 degrees C, peel another grape and sip the wine!!!

Clear skies...

[wakaleo]

Gidday Greg and welcome to the site. Now I know a little about the fella who takes those stunning images Noel has been playing with and then posting on MyAstroSpace. Awesome work, simply awesome. Please keep it up!

[wingeing Pom]

Hi guys! And thank you for the nice welcome, and the invite to W.Oz. Nothing I'd like more than to move to Oz, and still might do it in the next few years (should have been 20 years ago of course). Now Western side - pretty sure that's Ningaloo Reef (sp ?) and the Whale Sharks, not down in the civilised area but further up the coast.
New Zealand, well after visiting the Queensland area and staying on Heron Island for a week (Conference guys, someone has to do it) I won't bother with New Zealand again (I lived in Takapuna for 2 years as a kid). But I don't like Surfers much either - too built up, Noosa was just to my liking, but a bit expensive, even for a Pom :)
Anyway - rambling now - Noel has TONS more images to post up for your delectation (Pom word) that we've worked on over the past two years.

All the best,
Greg

[Radar]

course). Now Western side - pretty sure that's Ningaloo Reef (sp ?) and the Whale Sharks, not down in the civilised area but further up the coast.

Yeah Ningaloo is the Western side. We were there late last year for a week. Swam with manta rays, sharks, turtles, humpbacks, no whales sharks though. Amazing area. Extremely well protected to (which is good). The locals and state government are not going to develop this region, they want it to stay pristine.

[wingeing Pom]

Envy is not nice - I am EXTREMELY envious, I would love to do that (got to see some of those creatures over at Heron Island of course, but no Mantas).
Well protected - excellent - you Ozzies have got a lot of things right, what surprises me is why you haven't had a massive build of de-salinators round the coast for the water shortage problem. You have all the sunshine you need for massive solar stills, and you guys are usually ahead of the game. I know your P.M. is suggesting prayer, I would go for the engineering option myself. Apologies for this being a touch off topic for this thread - will I get banned?? :) :)
Greg

[Noel Carboni]

I've often wondered why more reverse osmosis (or other design) desalination plants aren't in operation world-wide. Governments, call them good or bad, DO seem to think ahead in most cases, but why not when considering fresh water needs? In Florida, USA, right now we're under water use restrictions because of a few months long drought. Seems silly to be so technologically advanced, at yet still at the mercy of the weather.

-Noel

[wingeing Pom]

Hi Noel,

Reverse osmosis needs some conventional power and is used quite a bit in the Gulf States, where the Government isn't short of a few quid. Oz has more than enough sunshine for the (powerless, almost) solar stills - don't understand it.
Greg

[wakaleo]

Well protected - excellent - you Ozzies have got a lot of things right, what surprises me is why you haven't had a massive build of de-salinators round the coast for the water shortage problem. You have all the sunshine you need for massive solar stills, and you guys are usually ahead of the game. I know your P.M. is suggesting prayer, I would go for the engineering option myself. Apologies for this being a touch off topic for this thread - will I get banned?? :) :)
Greg

Agree with you Greg on Oz getting some things right, but we've got an awfully long way to go yet. We are the world's worst emitter of climate-changing gasses per head of population (and that doesn't take into account the millions of tons of coal we export!).

Running desalination plants by means of solar or other sustainable energy means is the optimum, but burning fossil fuels to generate the energy required to power them is expensive, highly polluting and impractical. Solar stills, as you say, are the go.

As for our PM - he's a politician! I rarely like discussing politics - upsets some people - but will say he's one person I would like to see burning up on re-entry (see post http://www.myastrospace.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4169#post4169)


I've often wondered why more reverse osmosis (or other design) desalination plants aren't in operation world-wide. Governments, call them good or bad, DO seem to think ahead in most cases, but why not when considering fresh water needs? In Florida, USA, right now we're under water use restrictions because of a few months long drought. Seems silly to be so technologically advanced, at yet still at the mercy of the weather.

-Noel

Gidday Noel. I think it comes down to who is going to make money out of a thing. There's not much on-going earning to be made from 'free' power (sun, wind, waves, etc.). If there's little profit to be made, there's usually little support from industry or their lackeys (i.e. governments).


Hi Noel,

Reverse osmosis needs some conventional power and is used quite a bit in the Gulf States, where the Government isn't short of a few quid. Oz has more than enough sunshine for the (powerless, almost) solar stills - don't understand it.
Greg

Couldn't agree more, Greg. Perhaps the Gulf states are doing it because they know there will be no oil left in the near future so they need to assure their essential supplies now. As mentioned above, in Australia (as in most of the western democracies) I believe it's the much reduced opportunity to make the big profits that prevents governments and industry from following the renewable energy path.

Hmmm! Just a little 'off topic'!

[Radar]

One thing I find annoying in this day of global warming (and because I'm an astronomer), are annoying street lights that are left on all night long in the middle of nowhere. This not only ruins the night sky, but the energy to run these lights creates greenhouse gases. Because I'm into astronomy I really take note of how many lights are where, and some places are lit up like a fire workds night, it's ridiculous.

Streetlights should be on a sensor light basis, so when a car or person approaches the light comes on for 30 seconds or a minute. This would also make for better security because you would know if someone had moved down your street in the last few seconds, where now, anyone (someone like Astro Dave), could be hiding in your well lit street, but you would be none the wiser (again, like Astro Dave) :Chessy_Smile: