January 2010 - Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

Re: [Utah-astronomy] Wow!!! (SLAS Maui imaging session)
by Canopus56 21 Jan '10

21 Jan '10

Hola, como te va, Group? Below are my imaging notes on doing a first pass stack and deconvole on the Faulkes M1 session. The results of these processing steps are in Utah Astro Gallery directory: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=2868 By posting these notes, I am working towards another version of the Crab from the Faulkes session and am simply thinking outloud about the image processing steps for the benefit of anyone how wants to follow along. Kibbutizing is welcome. The end product objective is an asethetic, not natural observation version. Most of the images are underexposed and have tracking problems. So, don't expect the result to beat or meet a professional telescope equipped with adaptive optics, e.g. - http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040128.html The idea here is get what can be teased out of the image and work with it. The end product of the original pass processing step are the 8-bit images, posted in lossless jpg but available from me as 8-bit fits: Green Channel http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=2869 201000115_origgreen_bit8.jpg Red Channel http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=2873 201000115_origred_bit8.jpg OIII Channel 20100115_origOIII_bit8.jpg http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=2875 Ha Channel 20100115_origHa_bit8.jpg http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=2877 OIII-Ha Difference image 20100115_origOIIIHaDiff_bit8.jpg http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=2879 Blue Channel 201000115_origblue_bit8.jpg http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=2883 Stars Only Channel 201000115_origstarsonly_bit8 http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=2881 The next imaging step will be to work with these 8-bit images in GIMP, a freeware analogue to Photoshop, and clean up some of the artifacts in each image. Clean up will be done before the individual images are assembled into a layer stack. Since the nebulosity in the raw images was confined to less than 500 pixel values, there probably won't be any improvement by working with the images in an 8-bit (255 levels) as opposed to 16-bit levels. By posting my processing notes, I hope I'm not boring the group. Clear Skies - Kurt ---------------------------- I. Green channels A. Processing steps Individually clipped to 15-525 adus. Wavelet 5 step filter, no. 2 step high. Linear brightness stretch to 255 8bit levels Saved to fits with suffix clip_wave5bit8 B. Processing steps applied to l_e_20100115_20_1_1_1.fits Green 360s to l_e_20100115_20_1_1_1clipwave5bit8.fits l_e_20100115_23_1_1_1.fits Green 360s to l_e_20100115_23_1_1_1clipwave5bit8.fits l_e_20100115_26_1_1_1.fits to l_e_20100115_26_1_1_1clipwave5bit8.fits C. Combined processed green channels Registered and k-sigma combined - l_e_20100115_20_1_1_1clipwave5bit8.fits l_e_20100115_23_1_1_1clipwave5bit8.fits l_e_20100115_26_1_1_1clipwave5bit8.fits to 201000115_origgreen_bit8.fits D. Overall result Marginal or no improvement Comparing l_e_20100115_20_1_1_1.fits to 201000115_origgreen_bit8.fits II. Red channels A. Processing steps Individually clipped to 115-1100 adus. Wavelet 5 step filter, no. 2 step high. Linear brightness stretch to 255 8bit levels Saved to fits with suffix clip_wave5bit8 B. Processing steps applied to l_e_20100115_21_1_1_1.fits Red 360s to l_e_20100115_21_1_1_1clipwave5bit8.fits l_e_20100115_24_1_1_1.fits Red 360s to l_e_20100115_24_1_1_1clipwave5bit8.fits l_e_20100115_27_1_1_1.fits Red 360s to l_e_20100115_27_1_1_1clipwave5bit8.fits C. Combined processed red channels Registered and k-sigma combined - l_e_20100115_21_1_1_1clipwave5bit8.fits l_e_20100115_24_1_1_1clipwave5bit8.fits l_e_20100115_27_1_1_1clipwave5bit8.fits to 201000115_origred_bit8.fits D. Overall result Discernable improvement in sharpness, gradient detail and background contrast Comparing l_e_20100115_21_1_1_1.fits to 201000115_origred_bit8.fits III. OIII processing A. Processing steps Individually clipped to 15-250 adus. Wavelet 5 step filter, no. 2 step high. Linear brightness stretch to 255 8bit levels Saved to fits with suffix clip_wave5bit8 B. Processing steps applied to l_e_20100115_30_1_1_1.fits OIII 180s to l_e_20100115_30_1_1_1clipwave5bit8.fits l_e_20100115_31_1_1_1.fits OIII 180s to l_e_20100115_31_1_1_1clipwave5bit8.fits C. Combined processed red channels Registered and averaged combined (k-sigma and median require 3 images) - l_e_20100115_30_1_1_1.fits l_e_20100115_31_1_1_1.fits to 20100115_origOIII_bit8.fits D. Overall result Discernable improvement in sharpness. Highlights still overexposed. No improvement in detail gradient. Some artifacts added to image. Comparing l_e_20100115_30_1_1_1.fits to 20100115_origOIII_bit8.fits IV. Ha processing A. Processing Have only one image. This image was clipped to -15 to 500 adus and restretched to an 8 bit image. Processed l_e_20100115_29_1_1_1.fits HA 180s to 20100115_origHa_bit8.fits B. Overall result No discernable improvement. Image stretched to common bit size for further processing. V. Stars only image process A red image with relatively round stars was taken and clipped to remove the background nebula. The image was gamma log stretched to brighten the stars. This star only will be used as a mask to paste white stars over the top of the combined color images. Processed - l_e_20100115_21_1_1_1.fits to 201000115_origstarsonly_bit8.fits VII. Conversion of Fits images to bmp and jpg for processing in GIMP 8-bit processing in GIMP - a Photoshop freeware analogue - is used here. The processed images are exported from FITS to an 8-bit format useable as individual layers in GIMP. GIMP is then used to stack and assign colors and brightnesses to each layer. Processed (lossless) - 201000115_origgreen_bit8.fits -> bmp and jpg of the same prefix 201000115_origred_bit8.fits -> bmp and jpg of the same prefix 20100115_origOIII_bit8.fits -> bmp and jpg of the same prefix 20100115_origHa_bit8.fits -> bmp and jpg of the same prefix 201000115_origstarsonly_bit8.fits -> bmp and jpg of the same prefix VII. Searching for detail with special techniques Difference imaging sometimes can coax out hidden detail. Several combinations on the processed images were tried. The OIII minus Ha image yielded good detail of part of the central ring cloud. This image was set aside for possible use. Processing - 20100115_origOIII_bit8.fits minus 20100115_origHa_bit8.fits with gamma contrast increase to - 20100115_origOIIIHaDiff_bit8.fits This was also exported to bmp and jpg. VI. Blue image processing Initially, I decided not to process the blue channels because they do not increase any information contained in the green channel. On reflecting on final image composition, I preliminarily decided to try for a "cave like" appearance with a bright inner core along the lines of - http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap061026.html or http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap091025.html The foreground/background contrast is also better in the blue channel as opposed to the green channel. So, I decided to do a simple stack of the blue channel for possible future use. A. Processing steps Individually clipped to 15-525 adus. Wavelet 5 step filter, no. 2 step high. Linear brightness stretch to 255 8bit levels Saved to fits with suffix clip_wave5bit8 Processed - l_e_20100115_19_1_1_1.fits Blue 360s to l_e_20100115_19_1_1_1clip_wave5bit8.fits l_e_20100115_22_1_1_1.fits Blue 360s to l_e_20100115_22_1_1_1clip_wave5bit8.fits l_e_20100115_25_1_1_1.fits Blue 360s to l_e_20100115_25_1_1_1clip_wave5bit8.fits C. Combined processed red channels Registered and k-sigma combined - l_e_20100115_19_1_1_1clipwave5bit8.fits l_e_20100115_22_1_1_1clipwave5bit8.fits l_e_20100115_25_1_1_1clipwave5bit8.fits to 201000115_origblue_bit8.fits D. Overall result Barely noticeable improvement in sharpness and detail gradients. 201000115_origblue_bit8.fits compared to l_e_20100115_19_1_1_1.fits Exported - 201000115_origblue_bit8.fits -> bmp and jpg of the same prefix

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Wow!!! (SLAS Maui imaging session)
by Canopus56 20 Jan '10

20 Jan '10

Histogram notes on 1-16 Faulkes session images. With the entire range of analogue-to-digital-units (adus) (pixel value) in any one image, which adus histogram bands contain the nebulousity data? Clear Skies - Kurt ---------------------------------------- l_e_20100115_32_1_1_1.fits HB 120s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43281+1+2757 Range -3000 to 3650 adus. Underexposed. Almost no detail between -50 and 125 adus. No useable information. l_e_20100115_31_1_1_1.fits OIII 180s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43280+1+2757 Underexposed. All nebulous data is between -15 to 250 adus. No neb data above 250 adus. Range -3250 to 6400 adus. Responds with star artifacts to wavelet 5 step with high no. 2 processing. Best structural resolution in all areas and especially at faint edges of cloud. Structure similar in HA and OIII image. l_e_20100115_30_1_1_1.fits OIII 180s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43279+1+2757 Underexposed. All nebulous data is between -15 to 300 adus. No neb data above 300 adus. Range -3800 to 5234 adus. No response to unsharp, deconvole or wave filters. Major features are similar in structure to red channel but more defined. Structure similar in HA and OIII image. l_e_20100115_29_1_1_1.fits HA 180s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43278+1+2757 Underexposed. Nebulous data is between -15 to 500 adus. Minor loss of central highlight between 500 and 600 adus. No neb data in 600 to Max adus. Range -9200 to 6811 adus No response to unsharp, deconvole or wave filters. Structure similar in HA and OIII image. RGB Set 3 l_e_20100115_27_1_1_1.fits Red 360s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43277+1+2757 All nebulous data is between 120 to 1100 adus. No neb data in 1100 to Max adus. Range is -8000 to 38000 adus. Responds to wavelet 5 step no. 2 mid-low processing. Structure defined similar to OIII channel. l_e_20100115_26_1_1_1.fits Green 360s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43276+1+2757 All nebulous data is between 30 and 470 adus. No neb data in 470 to Max adus. Range -2940 to 11517 adus Blue and green channels contain similar structural information, but the green channel is sharper in the faintest cloud edges. l_e_20100115_25_1_1_1.fits Blue 360s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43276+1+2757 All nebulous data is between 25 and 450 adus. No neb data in 450 to Max adus. Range -2650 to 12527 adus Very minor improvement with artifact with wavelet 5 step no. 2 high. No improvement seen using unsharp, Lucy Richardson. More diffuse cloud, different from and not containing structure of Red and OIII channels, is defined. Blue and green channels contain similar structural information, but the green channel is sharper in the faintest cloud edges. RGB Set 2 l_e_20100115_24_1_1_1.fits Red 360s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43275+1+2757 All nebulous data is between 125 and 1200 adus. No neb data in 1200 to Max adus. Range -4550 to 31150 adus Some improvement with wavelet 5 step no. 2 high, some improvement with unsharp mask, no improvement with Lucy Richardson deconvole. l_e_20100115_23_1_1_1.fits Green 360s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43275+1+2757 All nebulous data is between 15 and 525 adus. No neb data in 525 to Max adus. 500 to 525 adus begins center of nebulousity. Range -3000 to 18600 l_e_20100115_22_1_1_1.fits Blue 360s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43275+1+2757 All nebulous data is between 25 and 500 adus. No neb data in 500 to Max adus. Range -1800 to 12750 RGB Set 1 l_e_20100115_21_1_1_1.fits Red 360s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43275+1+2757 All nebulous data is between 115 to 1100 adus. No neb data in 1100 to Max adus. Range is 0< to 36000 adus l_e_20100115_20_1_1_1.fits Green 360s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43275+1+2757 All nebulous data is between 0 and 500 adus. No neb data in 50 to Max adus. l_e_20100115_19_1_1_1.fits Blue 360s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43275+1+2757 All nebulous data is between 0 and 500 adus. No neb data in 500 to Max adus.

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Wow!!! (SLAS Maui imaging session)
by Canopus56 20 Jan '10

20 Jan '10

List of 1-16 Faulkes session images in reverse order of exposure: l_e_20100115_32_1_1_1.fits HB 120s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43281+1+2757 l_e_20100115_31_1_1_1.fits OIII 180s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43280+1+2757 l_e_20100115_30_1_1_1.fits OIII 180s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43279+1+2757 l_e_20100115_29_1_1_1.fits HA 180s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43278+1+2757 RGB Set 3 l_e_20100115_27_1_1_1.fits Red 360s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43277+1+2757 l_e_20100115_26_1_1_1.fits Green 360s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43276+1+2757 l_e_20100115_25_1_1_1.fits Blue 360s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43276+1+2757 RGB Set 2 l_e_20100115_24_1_1_1.fits Red 360s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43275+1+2757 l_e_20100115_23_1_1_1.fits Green 360s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43275+1+2757 l_e_20100115_22_1_1_1.fits Blue 360s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43275+1+2757 RGB Set 1 l_e_20100115_21_1_1_1.fits Red 360s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43275+1+2757 l_e_20100115_20_1_1_1.fits Green 360s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43275+1+2757 l_e_20100115_19_1_1_1.fits Blue 360s http://lcogt.net/en/search/observation/43275+1+2757 Clear Skies - Kurt

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Journey to Palomar on Hulu
by Jay Eads 20 Jan '10

20 Jan '10

Well in case someone here hasn't seen this PBS special called Journy to Palomar here is a link to Hulu where you can watch it "with limited commercial interruption." I actually quite enjoyed it and was worth watching on a cloudy night. Enjoy. http://www.hulu.com/watch/76165/pbs-specials-journey-to-palomar

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M1 Image Posted
by Tyler Allred 20 Jan '10

20 Jan '10

Hi all. I just posted the M1 image from the recent imaging session on the Faulkes Telescope. I put it in my gallery, but many others deserve the real credit. Here is a link to the gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=2851 I also added the image to my website, along with some tidbits about the pulsar and the shockwaves that we recorded in the image. Here is a link to my website: http://71.18.228.62/gpage8.html I appreciated the chance to work with such a great group of people on this project. I hope we get more time soon... really soon! Cheers, Tyler

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Whale and the Hockey Stick galaxies from Slooh roboscope 1-14
by Canopus56 20 Jan '10

20 Jan '10

> It certainly captures the spookiness of these galaxies. Thanks, Joe Thanks, Joe. It's not a very good picture - just practicing. Tyler has a much better version in the SLAS gallery. http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=160 The whale is a classic example of looking at a spiral galaxy edge one. One of the objects on last night's Faulkes telescope session potential target list was NGC488 - an example of looking straight down on a spiral. http://www.noao.edu/outreach/aop/observers/n488.html - although we did not get to NGC 488, I'll try to use the commercial roboscopes to image NGC 488 next. - Kurt

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] New QSI 583 Camera
by Debbie 19 Jan '10

19 Jan '10

Don, Did you have any problems with the humidity in the air last week? It's been damp down here lately. I'm looking forward to some warmer and drier air. Everybody down here is sick of winter. Debbie On Mon Jan 18 11:15 , Joe Bauman <josephmbauman(a)yahoo.com> sent: >I suspect it has the same chip as the new SBIG camera I'm saving for. Thanks again, Joe > > > > >________________________________ >From: Don J. Colton djcolton(a)piol.com> >To: Utah Astronomy utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com> >Sent: Mon, January 18, 2010 8:02:07 AM >Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] New QSI 583 Camera > >Thanks for your comments Tyler, Joe and Patrick. I think the Lodestar >autoguider Tyler suggested is a big help in getting enough good guide stars >for accurate guiding. > >-----Original Message----- >From: utah-astronomy-bounces(a)mailman.xmission.com >[utah-astronomy-bounces(a)mailman.xmission.com','','','')">utah-astronomy- bounces(a)mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Tyler >Allred >Sent: Sunday, January 17, 2010 7:06 PM >To: 'Utah Astronomy' >Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] New QSI 583 Camera > >Don, >These images are superb! That should be a great camera. >Tyler > >-----Original Message----- >From: utah-astronomy-bounces(a)mailman.xmission.com >[utah-astronomy-bounces(a)mailman.xmission.com','','','')">utah-astronomy- bounces(a)mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Don J. >Colton >Sent: Sunday, January 17, 2010 4:05 PM >To: 'Utah Astronomy' >Subject: [Utah-astronomy] New QSI 583 Camera > >I just had a chance to try out my new QSI 583 CCD camera in St. George this >last week. The camera is one of several new cameras from different >manufacturers using the same Kodak 8.3 megapixel chip with 5.4 micron >pixels, making it ideal for small scopes. I took the following test images >starting with M31: > >http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php\?g2_itemId=289&g2_page=3 > >I stacked more images for M31 than the other objects improving the image >quality. I was impressed with the resolution of the image considering I was >using a 106 mm refractor with an f/3.64 reducer giving me a focal length of >only 386 mm. See the high resolution image below: > >http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php\?g2_itemId=2821&g2_imageViewsIndex=1 > >Star spikes were added to the images of the Pleiades and the Horsehead. >Other than that minimal processing was done on the images. > > > > >_______________________________________________ >Utah-Astronomy mailing list >Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com >http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy >Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php >Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com > > >_______________________________________________ >Utah-Astronomy mailing list >Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com >http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy >Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php >Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com > > >_______________________________________________ >Utah-Astronomy mailing list >Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com >http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy >Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php >Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com > > > > >_______________________________________________ >Utah-Astronomy mailing list >Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com >http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy >Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php >Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com

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Another "sciency" newspaper cartoon
by Patrick Wiggins 18 Jan '10

18 Jan '10

Nice to see another "sciency" cartoon in the paper. This one on parallel universes. http://comics.com/over_the_hedge/2010-01-17/ Who knows, maybe reading such things will get young (and not so young) readers to point their browsers to something sciency? patrick

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WISE needs your help!
by Patrick Wiggins 18 Jan '10

18 Jan '10

WISE needs your help! http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/science_asteroids.html

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Animations posted
by Patrick Wiggins 18 Jan '10

18 Jan '10

I got the animations of the recent minor planet flyby posted to the SLAS gallery. Contrast is a bit better than before and the images are smaller so they load faster. Please let me know if you have any problems with either of them. http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=68&g2_page=4 patrick

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