California Nebula Mixes
Welcome to my narrowband imaging page featuring some images with my SBIG ST-8300M (monochrome) camera. My primary Narrowband page has images from "color" cameras fitted with an H-alpha narrowband filter. Narrowband (NB) filters enhance contrast of emission objects by accepting only a narrow range of wavelengths around the emission lines of hydrogen (H-a, 656 nm), oxygen (OIII, 501 nm), sulfur (SII, 672nm).
Below find links to my most recent narrowband work.
The image above (click the thumbnail) consists of about 24 minutes H-alpha plus about 42 minutes of OIII from the back yard, April, 2011. FSQ-85 telescope and ST-8300 camera. I blended the O3 into Blue at 100%, into green at 50%, H-alpha into luminance and red, and then tried a few things in Photoshop! H-alpha image is shown below.
See my California Nebula page for details on the above; it's 27*5 minutes exposure.
This is a 1900x1200 sized view of the Lagoon Nebula (Messier object # 8, aka M8) area using 1.5 hours total exposure through the Takahashi FSQ-85 Telescope (no reducer), AP 900GTO mount, SBIG ST-8300 camera from Wimberley, TX. It uses a Narrowband H-alpha filter, which filtered out most of the 83% illuminated moon light that was about 60 degrees away during imaging. This links to my primary M20/M8 page, for more information about these objects. I was pleased with the performance with stars in the corner with this scope/camera combination. Main M8/M20 Area Page is here.
I'll be working on a new mosaic of this very interesting part of the sky. Note in addition to M8, which commands a lot of attention, there are also a number of other objects in the "paw" area on the right: NGC6559, IC4685, B303, IC Objects 4684, 1274, 1274; B91
This shows a bit of the faint nebulosity in a fairly wide area around the 
Orion Nebula, also see Comparative Close-Ups of the Orion Nebula, shot with a H-alpha filter on a monochrome CCD camera through a Takahashi "Baby Q" telescope (the subject of this page!) As noted above: FSQ-85 First ST-8300 light, 4/1/2011, below. This is 12*2 minutes with the Orion nebula only about 25 degrees elevated, from the back yard, fair transparency. I'll plan shoot some additional frames to blend in. Astro-geek details: I used 100 EL panel flats, maybe 50 flat darks (these flats need a relatively long 4+ second exposure), and 32 dark frames; camera temp -5 degrees C, rough polar alignment and guided, captured and processed in CCDSoft, focus assisted with a "GoldFocus" mask & software.
Filter Details:
Astrodon 5nm - 36mm filters including H-alpha, O-III, and Si-II filters.
Astronomy Pictures: Dick Locke's Astrophoto Gateway page....
Copyright © 2011 by Dick Locke. All Rights Reserved.
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