Antares area wide field 1

[RobertM]

This image shows the area around Antares in Scorpius.  It's an area that's been on my list for a number of years and it gives me great pleasure to have finally imaged it.  Again it's not perfect but I hope you like it.

Capture details:
Mount: Astrotrac on Gitzo tripod
Camera: SXVF-M25C
Filter: 2" IDAS LPS P2 filter
Optics: Canon 200L II @f2.8
Subs: 20 x 180 seconds

North is left, west is top.



Wartburg: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7190/6889683596_7c7b20a7dd_o.jpg

[JohnP]

a lot better than the orion though..Like'n this a lot, Nice one,  John..

[MarkS]

Nice one.

A very difficult target - just about impossible here in the UK.   The dust has also come out well.

Excellent image for such a short total integration time.

I agree with John - it's come out better than the Orion image.

Mark

[Kenny]

That's an amazing image!

[Mike]

Absolutely stunning. I love images with dark dust lanes in them. Fantastic.

[Rocket Pooch]

Very nice...

[Fay]

well done Robert, that is extremely nice, what a lovely area to image. glad you seem happy with  it as well 

[doug]

That is an amazing image, Robert.  Being a no-no.... what is the star cluster in the image??  Very well done, Sir.

Doug.

[MarkS]

I still can't get over the fact that this is just an hour of data!

Even at F/2.8, one hour doesn't give you much, back here in the South East, even for an ideally positioned target.

Mark

[Whitters]

Stunning. What a beautiful image. I remember buying slide sets in the 80's from professional observatories and being knocked out by the images. This has the same effect.

[Fay]

I cant believe the short subs either & that lovely globular cluster!

[RobertM]

Thanks for the kind comments.  I must admit I was very surprised myself by the way it processed up in the end.

Doug, The Globular is M4 and the smaller one near Antares is NGC6144.

I was imaging from a place called El Paso through some murky skies at an altitude of about 300m and not up near the caldera at 2700m where all the big telescopes are.  There were some sunbeds which I piled up to try to shadow the lens from the nearest street lamp (to some effect) but it could have been much better.  The short subs were because of the Astrotrac - as the lens moves the center of gravity shifts and causes a little trailing plus I don't trust the polar scope !  Short subs = little trailing.

Robert

[Mac]

very nice capture.

Mac.

[julian]

Very nice Robert
I may keep the  Astrotrac now

julian

[mickw]

Fantastic image Robert