Bountiful Celestial Harvest from Mersing

cataclysm · Post by **cataclysm** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 12:26 am

I am not sure if we can repeat this feat again, but I certainly hope more to come. After numerous trips up north with very limited successes, we had finally hit 'pay dirt'. With 2 clear nights and a cumulative imaging window of almost 10 hours, we couldn't ask for more!!
Below are most of the images that I had accumulated over the 2 nights with 2 imaging setup. What is most apparent here is that one shot colour camera will beat a mono CCD cam hands down with the sheer number of targets it can capture under a pristine sky. 6 for my modified Canon 350D vs 2 for the Mono DSI III ( actually 8 for Canon but discarding 2 sub-par images). If you love wide-field imaging, a modified DSLR will be very productive under a dark sky.

Here are some of the images:

M16, M17, M24 Sagittarius starcloud:

This tells me we are into something special this night when the 1st subframe appear on my monitor, the background stars are so dense that they appear like a 'sea of gold'!

Imaged with : Vixen GPD, Modified Canon 350D with cooling, Canon 100mm Macro EF @ f/4, 6x10min @ ISO800.

Antares region & Rho Ophiuchi complex:

This is definitely one of the most colourful region in our Milkyway.

Imaged with: Vixen GPD, Modified Canon 350D with cooling, Canon 100mm Macro EF @ f/4, 5x10min @ ISO800

NGC7000 & Pelican Nebula

Imaged with: Vixen GPD, Modified Canon 350D with cooling, Tak FS60, 0.8x WO Reducer/Flattener, 6x10min @ ISO 800

Cat's Paw Nebula:

This target is at the sting of Scorpius, not far from the Milkyway's core, the background stars are very dense.

Imaged with: Vixen GPD, Modified Canon 350D with cooling, Tak FS60, 0.8x WO Reducer/Flattener, 6x10min @ ISO 800

NGC6231 & Prawn Nebula:

A less popular target for most imagers, this also nestled within Scorpius.

Imaged with: Vixen GPD, Modified Canon 350D with cooling, Tak FS 60, 0.8x WO Reducer/Flattener, 6x10min @ ISO800

Cygnus Loop:

This was a highly anticipated target to shoot, but it was fast approaching dawn and the condition had deteriorated, hence not a very pleasing result.

Imaged with: Vixen GPD, Modified Canon 350D with cooling, 0.8x WO Reducer/Flattener, 6x10min @ ISO 800

M16/Eagle Nebula

This was the 1st night target with Mono CCD cam

Imaged with: Losmandy GM8, Modified Meade DSI III Pro with cooling, Tak FSQ85, 4x10min L , 5x10min R, 4x10min B, 5x10min G

M20/Trifid Nebula

2nd night target with mono CCD cam

Imaged with: Losmandy GM8, Modified Meade DSI III Pro, Tak FSQ85, 5x10min L, 5x10min R, 5x10min G, 5x10Min B

Gary · Post by **Gary** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 12:34 am

Beautiful and bountiful indeed! Thanks for sharing!

shirox · Post by **shirox** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 12:45 am

trifid is beautiful!

Post by **rcj** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 1:24 am

very rewarding collection bro!

wucheeyiun · Post by **wucheeyiun** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 12:05 pm

Very nice ... and fruitful.

Clifford60 · Post by **Clifford60** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 8:25 pm

Very nice, like mono CCD more than the camera, too many stars

jimmyleong · Post by **jimmyleong** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 12:16 am

nice photos... what a fruitful trip...

timatworksg · Post by **timatworksg** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 9:37 pm

Thats an Extreme Collection of images from one helluva fruitful trip! Savoir this bro!! Being at the right place at the right time is such a wonderful thing!! BLessings on that moment!!!

cataclysm · Post by **cataclysm** » Wed Jun 15, 2011 1:20 pm

Here is another widefield image from the trip, Crux with Coal Sack. In fact it was the very first 'warming up' target being taken. Not very please with the result due to poor tracking and severe gradient. Here is a composite of 2 best subframes from the lot.

Vixen GPD, Modified Canon 350D, Canon 100mm EF Macro @ f/4, 2x5min @ ISO 800.

Post by **Airconvent** » Wed Jun 15, 2011 2:55 pm

Great work Kelvin! Truly a bountiful collection..!