The Rudolph Nebula

[MarkS]

Taken Sunday night (18 Dec) - a fantastic dark night - after midnight I recorded SQM-L readings of 20.99 (converts to a naked eye limiting mag of 6.1),  the highest I've yet recorded at either High Halden or Rother Valley.

60 x 5min at ISO 800 + 8 x 2.5min at ISO 400 then the clouds rolled in before I could do the shorter exposures.

Usual set-up:  H-alpha modified Canon 350D on Tak Epsilon 180ED with CLS filter.  For the first time I also used a dew shield on the Tak.  Temperatures dropped to -4.5C and there was thick frost on everything.



Larger version here:
http://www.markshelley.co.uk/webdisk/rudolph.jpg

Mark

P.S. The usual processing sequence was followed by a very special operation in Photoshop  

[Mac]

very good.

ho ho ho.

[Carole]

 

But wonderful image Mark.

Carole

[RobertM]

Wonderful - I've never seen such detail

[Tony G]

Lovely image Mark, and you can nearly see the velvet on the antlers.

Anyway I believe they have renamed the Wizard Nebula. 




Tony G

[Fay]

Beautiful Mark, it was indeed a lovely night.............I SHOULD HAVE STAYED UP LATER!!!!!!

[MarkS]

Just for interest, and for comparison with other recent H-alpha images and because Tony prefers monochrome images, here is the red channel only:



Larger version:
http://www.markshelley.co.uk/webdisk/rudolph_red.jpg

Mark

[Tony G]

Thanks Mark 

Love the diffraction spike on Alnitak.

Tony G

[Carole]

I've only just opened the full size version and seen the nose 

Also noticed a great amount of detail in the dark nebula, particular lower right.

Carole

[Rocket Pooch]

Very nice Mark, lovely colour.