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Showing posts sorted by relevance for query cygnus mosaic. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query cygnus mosaic. Sort by date Show all posts

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Cygnus project, ten years and 500 hours, the grande finale!

Total exposure time is way over 600 hours shot between 2010 and 2020. Some areas of this mosaic panorama required more exposure time than others. There are two large supernova remnants in this mosaic. both are large, diffused and very dim. I have used about 150 hours of exposures for them alone! There are hardly any deep and large enough photos around showing them well. 

I have started this imaging project back at 2010. My aim was make a highish resolution mosaic covering the constellation Cygnus. Work like that takes time and patience, especially since I have worked so, that many of the individual sub mosaics or frames can be published as an individual artworks. Here is a poster format presentation about all of longer focal length images used for this mosaic beside actual panels, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2018/11/treasures-of-swan.html

As a result I have now a huge 37 panel (And 58 long focal length sub-panel) mosaic panorama covering 28 x 18 degrees of sky.  I have collected photons way over 500 hours during past ten years for this photo. The full size mosaic image has a size of about 25.000 x 15.000 pixels.

A photo of five million stars*

Great Mosaic of Cygnus (2010-2020)
28x18 degrees, 37 + 58 panels and over 600 hours of exposure time

The full size photo is worth to see!  (2700 x 1700 pixels)

An apparent size of the Moon is marked as a scale at bottom left on the picture frame. 
This is a large area of sky! (28 x 18 degrees) Image is in mapped colours, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.  NOTE, the horizontal version at end of the page!
* I actually counted the stars and in this field of view there are little over five million individual stars

Orientation
Three supernova remnants, two Wolf Rayet stars and a black hole
Please, click the image for full resolution




Some closeups from the large mosaic image to show the resolution
You should click the images to see them in full glory, it's worth the effort!

North America and the Pelican Nebula

NOTE, image is reduced to 2000 x 1300 pixels from 6000 x 4000 pixels.


The Central Cygnus

Original size in mosaic image is 5000 x 2500 pixels

The supernova remnant G65.3+5.7 at top of the mosaic image

More info about this image here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/11/g65357-large-supernova-remnant-in_22.html


A closeup from the supernova remnant G65.3+5.7
The noise is not a noise, just a massive amount of stars

The starfield in this part of Milky Way is extremely dense, blog post about this SNR can be seen here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/11/a-supernova-remnant-in-cygnus-g65357-snr.html


The tulip nebula area

The Tulip Nebula, Sh2-101, can be seen at center right, there is also a black hole Cygnus X-1
The blog post with technical details can be seen here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-tulip-nebula-in-cygnus-sh2-101.html


Cirrus of Cygnus

Blog post about this photo, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/12/cirrus-of-cygnus-and-supernova-remnant.html


THE MOSAIC

Evolution of the mosaic between 2010 and 2020
Click for a large image



Mosaic panels in chronological order

Here is an updated image about individual panels shot for this large mosaic image.
There are 37 base panels with shorter focal length tools (200mm f2.8 Tokina and 200mm f1.8 Canon) There is also 59 sub-panels used, they are shot with my old 12" Meade and 11" Celestron Edge scopes.
NOTE I recalculated the total exposure time and it's actually way over 600 hours.
Here is a poster format presentation and a list all of longer focal length images used for this mosaic beside the actual panels, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2018/11/treasures-of-swan.html

INFO

Three supernova remnants, two Wolf Rayet stars and a black hole

In the orientation image above, there are three large supernova remnants visible, first the Cygnus Shell W63 , bluish ring at upper left quarter, secondly the large SNR G65.3+5.7 at utmost right and finally the third is a brighter SNR, the Veil nebula just outside of field of view at bottom center. (Image is partly overlapping with large mosaic  but I didn't want to include it yet due to artistic composition.)

Beside three supernova remnants there are two Wolf Rayet stars with outer shell formations. NGC 6888, the Crescent Nebula at center of the image and the WR 134, it can be seen as a blue arch just right from the Crescent Nebula, near the Tulip nebula.

Next to the Tulip Nebula lays a Black hole Cygnus X-1, it's marked in small closeup image of the Tulip Neula at center right in orientation image above. 

Constellation Cygnus is an endless source of celestial wonders, both scientifically and aesthetically. For me, as an visual artist, this are of night sky is very inspiring There are endless amount of  amazing shapes and structures, I can spend rest of my life just shooting images from this treasury.


The smaller 18 panel version of this mosaic from a year 2013

My beautiful wife Anna as a scale at front of the framed copy of the Cygnus mosaic version from 2013.


A funny anecdote 

About a week ago I showed this new mosaic image to my wife Anna. She is an art teacher and I value her opinions very highly. We talked about the composition of the new photo and I asked if she knows where the black hole (Cygnus X-1) locates isn constellation Swan. She doesn't even blink when she pointed her finger on the exactly right spot in the large mosaic! Even though she is interested about astronomy, I was stunned. I asked how she know about the location of the black hole so well ?
The answer was;  "If you think about the swan, I just pointed out the anatomically correct location"
The Black Hole of a Swan
Click for a large image (2700 x 1700 pixels)

The anatomically correct location of the Black Hole of the Swan


Equipments used

I have used several optical configurations for this mosaic image during the years. Up to 2014 I was using an old Meade LX200 GPS 12" scope, QHY9 astrocam, Canon EF 200mm f1.8 camera optics and baader narrowband filter set. After 2014 I have had 10-micron 1000 equatorial mount, Apogee Alta U16 astro camera, Tokina AT-x 200mm f2.8 camera lens and the Astrodon 50mm square narrowband filter set. I have shot many details with a longer focal length, before 2014 by using Meade 12" scope with reducer and after 2014 Celestron EDGE 11" and reducer. Quider camera has been Lodestar and Lodestar II.






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Sunday, November 27, 2011

A collection of "Sub mosaics" of Cygnus mosaic



A series of panoramic mosaics.
Mosaics are done from the material used in my large, eight panel, mosaic of Cygnus Nebulae.


The "Cirrus area" of Cygnus



From North America & Pelican Nebulae to the "Cirrus area" at Right.



Four panels mosaic from North America & Pelican Nebulae to Crescent Nebula.



Three panel mosaic from "Cirrus area" of Cygnus to the Tulip Nebula at upper Right.



Two panel mosaic from Butterfly to the Crescent Nebula.



Two panel mosaic from Butterfly to the "Cirrus area" of Cygnus.



Couple of panoramas in natural color palette from narrowband channels


Two panel mosaic from Butterfly to the "Cirrus area" of Cygnus.



From North America & Pelican Nebulae to the "Cirrus area" at Right.



The "Cirrus area" of Cygnus






Three panel mosaic from "Cirrus area" of Cygnus to the Tulip Nebula at upper Right.

I made mosaic panoramas above, since I now have several over lapping images from constellation Cygnus.
The massive resolution, eight panel, mosaic of Nebulae in Cygnus can be seen in this blog post:
http://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2011/11/cygnus-project-grande-finale.html


Eight panel mosaic of Cygnus, used for the panoramas

An eight panel mosaic of Nebulae in constellation Cygnus.
All panoramic images above are made from this material.

A very large, 7,5 meg and 3000x2000 pixel, version can be seen HERE.






www.tips-fb.com Posted by J-P Metsavainio at 8:09 PM 0 comments
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Friday, December 9, 2011

Cygnus mosaic, 18-panels and 22 x 14 degrees of sky




Finally finalized, with a lots of work... uh


NOTE! A large image, ~1200x2000 pixels and ~3Mb
Image is in mapped colors, from the emission of ionized elements, 
R=Sulfur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen.
The "noise" in background is not a noise but countless number of stars!

Even larger, 3500 x 2200 pixels and ~10Mb, image can be seen from HERE.
(Original resolution is about 15.000 x 10.000 pixels.)

Some technical information about the image:
  • Original size for the 18 panels mosaic ~15.000 x10.000 pixels
  • Resolution 5,5 arch seconds / pixel
  • Image center, RA 20h 27s, Dec 43d 30m 45s
  • Area of this image is about 22 x14 degrees of sky.
  • Full Moon has an angular diameter of 0,5 degrees, it fits to the area of this image about 1230 times!

A cropped images, to show the resolution
(Image size is reduced)


A detail from the North America and Pelican Nebulae area.
More closeups in this blog post:
http://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2011/11/cygnus-project-grande-finale.html


A closeup from the "Cirrus" area of the large panorama.



Image in visual spectrum

Image is in Natural color palette from the emission of ionized elements, 
R=Hydrogen + Sulfur, G=Oxygen and B=Oxygen + Hydrogen. this palette is very close to a visual spectrum. NOTE! A large image, ~1920x1200 pixels and ~3Mb

A Gray scale image of Hydrogen alpha emission
can be seen HERE  (Note, about 7,3 meg)


Orientation in the sky
overlay with a star map

Constellation Cygnus



This is a third expansion for this mosaic

I started the Cygnus mosaic project by shooting a three panel mosaic from the "Cirrus area"


Three panel mosaic of Cirrus of Cygnus.


The second phase was an eight panel mosaic. The blog post can be seen from here:


An eight panel mosaic. 



All mosaics, made so far from the Cygnus constellation.



An experimental starless image to show the actual nebula





(NEW) An experimental 3D-study about this area
Note.  This is a personal vision about forms and shapes, based on some known facts and an artistic impression.

3D-NOTE!
You'll need Red/Cyan Eyeglasses to be able to see images as 3D.If you have a Red and Blue filters, you can use them! Red goes to Left eye.

Click an image for a 1900 x 1200 pixels version!

Other 3D-studies and  viewing methods in my portfolio:



Technical details for the 18 panel mosaic


Panels shot for this mosaic.

I have used a very fast camera optics, Canon EF 200mm f1.8, full open to collect all the data in this mosaic. Due that, total exposure time is relatively short, ~22h, there are some very dim formations clearly visible.

Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Levels, curves and mosaic combine in PS CS3.

Optics, Canon EF 200mm camera lens at f1.8
Camera, QHY9
Image Scale, ~5,5 arcseconds/pixel
Guiding, Meade LX200 GPS 12" and a Lodestar guider
Filters used, Baader 7nm H-alpha, S-II & O-III

Here are all technical data for the H-alpha emission line:

I had ready made eight panel mosaic with all three emission line, H-a, S-II and O-III  I managed to collect very little new color data but I had some earlier images from this area. I used all of them to finalize this color composition. Gaps between the color data are filled with an averaged colors from surrounding color data.

Here are links to older images used for the missing color data

North America and the Pelican Nebulae: 

Lower parts of previous image:

Sharpless 119, Sh2-119:

The Crescent Nebula, a wide field image:



www.tips-fb.com Posted by J-P Metsavainio at 5:22 PM 3 comments
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Sunday, November 18, 2018

Treasures of the Swan


I made a poster format collection out of my photos from constellation Cygnus, the Swan.
This area of sky is full of wonders, emission nebulae, supernova remnants, planetary nebulae, complex networks of dark nebulae and many other objects and cosmic phenomenon. I think I can spend rest of my life by shooting this nebula complex, it's a source of never ending wonders and visual treasures.


Treasures of Cygnus
Please, click the image to see a large version, it's worth it!
(3300 x 5500 pixels)

A location for each photo is marked at the large mosaic image of constellation Cygnus at center.



Image info


At center of the poster there is a large mosaic image of constellation Cygnus. I publish this 18-panels narrow band mosaic image at 2011.

  1. The Tulip nebula (APOD), https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2014/10/tulip-nebula-finalized-project.html
  2. Clouds of Swan, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2018/10/clouds-of-swan.html
  3. The Crescent nebula (APOD), https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2011/01/ngc-6888-crescent-nebula-reprocessed.html
  4. Dark filaments of Cygnus, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-detail-photo-of-dark-filaments-in.html
  5. The Pelican nebula, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2014/10/first-light-image-for-my-new.html
  6. The Great Wall of Cygnus, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2016/12/a-panoramic-view-to-north-america-nebula.html
  7. Dark Filaments of Cygnus, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2016/12/dark-filaments-in-cygnus-project.html
  8. NGC 7000 details, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-little-different-view-to-north.html
  9. Sharpless 119, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2017/12/sharpless-119-in-cygnus-project.html
  10. Filaments of Cygnus, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2015/10/filaments-of-cygnus-project-continues.html
  11. Filaments of Cygnus, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2015/10/filaments-of-western-cygnus.html
  12. Sharpless 115, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2014/11/sharpless-115-and-planetary-nebula.html
  13. Sharpless 112, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2015/10/sharpless-112-sh2-112-in-cygnus.html
  14. Filaments of Cygnus, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2015/11/filaments-of-cygnus.html
  15. The Propeller Nebula, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2014/11/dwb-111-propeller-nebula.html
  16. Cygnus Shell, W63, (APOD)  https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2018/10/a-very-rare-photo-cygnus-shell.html
  17. LBN 251, 239 and IC 1311, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2018/10/this-new-photos-shows-lbn-251-and.html
  18. PN PM 1-320, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2015/11/more-filaments-of-cygnus-and-couple-of.html
  19. LBN 243, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2018/11/lbn-243.html
  20. W 134, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2017/11/wr-134-ring-nebula-area-as-mosaic-image.html
  21. The Central Cygnus, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2017/01/bright-nebulae-of-central-cygnus-eleven.html
  22. Pelican nebula panorama, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2018/11/pelican-nebula-panorama.html
  23. Dark Clouds of Cygnus, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2018/11/dark-clouds-of-cygnus.html
  24. The Great Wall of Cygnus panorama, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2018/11/panoramic-photo-of-great-wall-of-cygnus.html




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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Cygnus Mosaic is getting large, 18 panels now





22 x14 degrees of sky from the constellation Cygnus
The "Chinese Dragon Nebula"

H-alpha emission, 18 panels, mosaic image of Nebulae in Cygnus
Download link for the 2600x3950 pixels image HERE. (Note, about 7,3 meg)
The noise in a background, is not a noise but countless number of stars!


I was busy last night

I started to image about Four a clock! Up here, it's dark enough for astronomical imaging at that time.
My previous project, an eight panel mosaic of Cygnus Nebulae, is starting to grow! I was not planning to shoot so large mosaic but since the first one turned to be so good and funny to do, lots of work though, I decided to go on. The Canon EF 200mm f1.8 lens is very fast optically, so the needed exposure time per panel is reasonable. I shot all 12 new panels between Four and Two a clock , Ten hours straight, no pauses.

I will shoot other channels, S-II & O-III, little by little. If weather cooperate, I might have this ready before Christmas. This is the largest mosaic, I have done so far.

The "Chinese Dragon Nebula"

Do you see a Chinese Dragon in upper image?


Some technical information about the image
  • Original size for the 18 panels mosaic 14.000 x 9000 pixels
  • Resolution 5,5 arch seconds / pixel
  • Image center, RA 20h 27s, Dec 43d 30m 45s
  • Area of this image is about 22 x14 degrees of sky.
    Full Moon has an angular diameter of 0,5 degrees, it fits to the area of this image about 1230 times!

    Start of the Cygnus project

    I started the Cygnus mosaic project by shooting a three panel mosaic from the "Cirrus area"

    Image in mapped colors, H-a = Green, S-II = Red and O-III = Blue

    The second phase was an eight panel mosaic. The blog post can be seen from here:

    Eight panel mosaic. This image gives an idea, how the large mosaic will look in colors.


    Relative sizes of mosaics.




Technical details for the 18 panel mosaic

I have used a very fast camera optics, Canon EF 200mm f1.8, full open to collect all the data in this mosaic. Due that, total exposure time is relatively short, ~12h, there are some very dim formations clearly visible.

Processing work flow:
Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Levels, curves and mosaic combine in PS CS3.

Optics, Canon EF 200mm camera lens at f1.8
Camera, QHY9
Image Scale, ~5,5 arcseconds/pixel
Guiding, Meade LX200 GPS 12" and a Lodestar guider
Filter, Baader 7nm H-alpha

Exposures for Eighteen panels,

Panel 1
H-a, 3x900s Binned 1x1

Panel 2 
H-a, 5x900s Binned 1x1

Panel 3 
H-a, 3x900s Binned 1x1

Panel 4 
H-a, 4x900s Binned 1x1

Panel 5
H-a, 5x900s Binned 1x1

Panel 6 
H-a, 8x900s Binned 1x1

Panel 7
H-a, 6x900s Binned 1x1

Panel 8
H-a, 4x900s Binned 1x1

Panel 9
H-a, 4x900s Binned 1x1

Panel 10
H-a, 3x900s Binned 1x1

Panel 11
H-a, 3x900s Binned 1x1

Panel 12
H-a, 3x900s Binned 1x1

Panel 13
H-a, 3x900s Binned 1x1

Panel 14
H-a, 3x900s Binned 1x1

Panel 15
H-a, 3x900s Binned 1x1

Panel 16
H-a, 3x900s Binned 1x1

Panel 17
H-a, 3x900s Binned 1x1

Panel 18
H-a, 3x900s Binned 1x1

Total exposure time for all panels ~12h

Top of light exposures, there are calibration files shot.
21 Flat frames
99 Bias frames
19 Dark frames

NOTE.
No star or noise reduction, nor sharpening, are used.


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Monday, February 1, 2021

This gigapixel mosaic has about 1000 exposure hours between 2010 - 2021


Over a ten years and about 1000 hours of exposures, the image spans 82 x 20 degrees of sky at resolution of 17.000 x 72.000 pixels (Over a gigapixel) 
Individual frames are shot between 2010 and 2021, there are total 168 images stitched together! There are more than ten million stars visible in this mosaic image!

From Perseus to Cygnus
Click for a large image (6000 x 1500 pixels)

Image in mapped colors from the light emitted by an ionized elements, hydrogen = green, sulfur = red and oxygen = blue. NOTE, the apparent size of the Moon in a lower left corner. 
Click for a large image 




Details
Click for a large image 




Evolution of the grande mosaic shot between 2010 and 2021
Click for a large image



Imaging info

It took over a ten years to finalize this mosaic image. The reason for a long time period is naturally the size of the mosaic and the fact, that image is very deep. Another reason is that I have soht most of the mosaic frames as an individual compositions and publish them as independent artworks. That leads to a kind of complex image set witch is partly overlapping with a lots of unimaged areas between and around frames. I have shot the missing data now and then during the years and last year I was able to publish sub mosaic images as I got them ready first.

My processing workflow is very constant so very little tweaking was needed between the mosaic frames. Total exposure time is way over 900 hours. Some of the frames has more exposure time, than others. There are some extremely dim objects clearly visible in this composition, like a extremely dim supernova remnant W63, the Cygnus Shell. It lays about six degrees up from North America nebula and it can be seen as a pale blue ring. I spent about 100 hours for this SNR alone. An other large and faint supernova remnant in Cygnus can be seen at near right edge of the image. G65.5+5.7 is as large as more famous Veil nebula. There are over 60 exposure hours for this SNR alone.  (Veil SNR is just outside of the mosaic area but can be seen in "Detail" image above.) 
Frames used for the large mosaic
Click for a large image


Tools

I have used several optical configurations for this mosaic image during the years. Up to 2014 I was using an old Meade LX200 GPS 12" scope, QHY9 astrocam, Canon EF 200mm f1.8 camera optics and baader narrowband filter set. After 2014 I have had 10-micron 1000 equatorial mount, Apogee Alta U16 astro camera, Tokina AT-x 200mm f2.8 camera lens and the Astrodon 50mm square narrowband filter set. I have shot many details with a longer focal length, before 2014 by using Meade 12" scope with reducer and after 2014 Celestron EDGE 11" and reducer. Quider camera has been Lodestar and Lodestar II.



Details from the large mosaic to show the resolution
(Images are reduced for a web usage)

Click for a large image!

North America and the Pelican Nebula

NOTE, image is reduced to 2000 x 1300 pixels from 6000 x 4000 pixels.



The Central Cygnus

Original size in mosaic image is 5000 x 2500 pixels


The supernova remnant G65.3+5.7

More info about this image here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/11/g65357-large-supernova-remnant-in_22.html


A closeup from the supernova remnant G65.3+5.7
The noise is not a noise, just a massive amount of stars

The starfield in this part of Milky Way is extremely dense, blog post about this SNR can be seen here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/11/a-supernova-remnant-in-cygnus-g65357-snr.html


The whole Cassiopeia




The tulip nebula area

The Tulip Nebula, Sh2-101, can be seen at center right, there is also a black hole Cygnus X-1
The blog post with technical details can be seen here, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-tulip-nebula-in-cygnus-sh2-101.html


Cirrus of Cygnus and the supernova remnant W63

Blog post about this photo, https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2020/12/cirrus-of-cygnus-and-supernova-remnant.html








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