M78 for ESO Processing contest. WFI camera on 2.2m telescope

M78 nebular complex in Orion

La Silla 2.2m MPG/ESO telescope, Cassegrain focus (F=8009mm).

5x3min Red, 3x3min Green (V), 3x3min Blue(B)

FWHM = 1.4"

Camera: WFI 8k x 8k mosaic CCD.

Image was calibrated, and Stacked from RAW data via IRAF software, composed/ white-balanced in Iris, and post-processed in PhotoShop.

Post processing was made in 50% scale (4228x4114) because image was quite oversampled (nothing to lose in 50% scale) and my PC is terrible weak for 67Mpix 16-bit image's multi-layered photoshoping :-)

This is a sample in ~12% resolution.
Large version is here (50% of original FITS, 12Mb)

(C) ESO/Igor Chekalin

Comments and faves

  1. ★

    nor certitude, Rhea Pappas Photographer | www.rheapappas.com, Oleg Astro, Jeroen Bergamin, and 153 other people added this photo to their favorites.

  2. astrometry.net (31 months ago | reply)

    Hello, this is the blind astrometry solver. Your results are:
    (RA, Dec) center:(86.6735749997, 0.0882808410427) degrees
    (RA, Dec) center (H:M:S, D:M:S):(05:46:41.658, +0:05:17.811)
    Orientation:179.87 deg E of N

    Pixel scale:1.96 arcsec/pixel

    Parity:Reverse ("Left-handed")
    Field size :33.50 x 32.58 arcminutes
    Your field contains:
    NGC 2064
    NGC 2067
    NGC 2068 / M 78
    NGC 2071

    View in World Wide Telescope

    -----
    If you would like to have other images solved, please submit them to the astrometry group.

  3. gainesp2003 (31 months ago | reply)

    Beautifully done! Great detail and the dark nebula really pop! It would sure be nice to have access to that 2.2 m scope!

  4. Dangerous Dave Astrophotography (31 months ago | reply)

    Nice processing job.

  5. gucic (31 months ago | reply)

    I feel now I should trow my equipment to the first muddy ditch. :)

  6. igorfp (31 months ago | reply)

    I also feel so, after opening one 3-min FITS :-) Great matrix! BTW chip cooling was -106C according to fit's header. 8) (may be I just need some liquid hydrogen in my Canon? :-) )

  7. Astro card convict (31 months ago | reply)

    holly hell that looks amazing

  8. E James P (31 months ago | reply)

    Very cool image

  9. Mark S Payne (31 months ago | reply)

    This is amazing!

  10. serg.beaver (31 months ago | reply)

    Этапять! Игорь, молодчина!!!
    Большую работу, я знаю!:)

  11. igorfp (31 months ago | reply)

    Спасибо, Серёга! Большая часть времени ушла на установку и освоение софта, но это полезный вклад в голову :) Хотя ручная косметическая коррекция заняла три или четыре (как считать) дня, кадров мало для эффективной работы сигма-клиппинга, в итоге очень много "мусора" пролезло в сумму.

  12. artemm (30 months ago | reply)

    Потрясно!Это стоило мучений с софтом!))

  13. igorfp (30 months ago | reply)

    Спасибо!

  14. igorfp (30 months ago | reply)

    Thanks! By the way, you and anybody have access too - archive.eso.org/eso/eso_archive_main.html

  15. Glorielle [deleted] (30 months ago | reply)

    Beautiful!

  16. write_adam (30 months ago | reply)

    !!!

  17. AlexHawkPhotography (30 months ago | reply)

    wow! makes me want to look into the sky forever

  18. nathanial burton-bradford (30 months ago | reply)

    Bravo!!!!!! A beautiful composition... now my desktop background. Hope your passport is all in order ;)

  19. _StrangeCharm (29 months ago | reply)

    Wow....

  20. efmiglioranza (29 months ago | reply)

    Really amazing!

  21. hdahle70 (29 months ago | reply)

    Fantastic image! Excellent job!
    Enjoy your well-deserved trip to ESO !

  22. Lights In The Dark (29 months ago | reply)

    Excellent work, a really amazing image!!!

  23. nathanial burton-bradford (29 months ago | reply)

    Fantastic news about your win - very well deserved.

  24. Another Eye (29 months ago | reply)

    gratz!!!!! take a lot of pictures in paranal!!!!

    you totally deserve it!

    cheers

  25. joshb_3d (29 months ago | reply)

    Well deserved!!! You have to let us know how the trip was.

  26. assvazz (29 months ago | reply)

    Thank you for your time and labor !!! Удивительные изображения
    Live long and prosper!

  27. Mora, Morada :3 [deleted] (29 months ago | reply)

    Congratulations for the "Hidden Treasures" :-D Is a amazing image

  28. Heart of the Ocean ❧ (29 months ago | reply)

    Bloody brilliant!

  29. Kei Farahan (29 months ago | reply)

    I was so amazed by your winner pic... You really deserved that prize! Have a great trip and enjoy Chile and it's sparkling sky...

  30. Kei Farahan (29 months ago | reply)

    And please let us know about the trip. Post something here, or a link to some pics or texts...

  31. gatoso (29 months ago | reply)

    Hey Igor, congratulations!! (and don't say I didn't told you)

  32. dacanata (29 months ago | reply)

    Excelente trabajo!!! Una foto realmente hermosa!!!
    felicitaciones!!!

  33. NakedTrust (29 months ago | reply)

    pretty awesome work! *thumbsup*

  34. igorfp (29 months ago | reply)

    Thanks for all for congratulations!!!

    Certainly I'll make photos during Chile trip, and publish here with detailed comments.

    But ESO gave me an option to choise date. So I decided to go on autumn-winter (in northern hemisphere) I need this season for my astrophotography plans ;-)
    It's not final decision, now I thinking about photosession plans, but deep RGB Orion mosaic (to finish this project), LMO, Eta Carinae - all best targets for mobile setup are winter time and now it's too late for current winter.

  35. ngc6744 (28 months ago | reply)

    Congratulations to the winner !
    "Bon voyage" to Paranal.
    Will be your first trip in southern hemisphere ? If yes, what a great experience to discover some new celestial objects !

  36. Oliver Hayden (28 months ago | reply)

    Gorgeous! Amazing detail and contrast.

  37. Franco GDL (28 months ago | reply)

    Great work
    congratulations and maybe will see you there

  38. lopusan (28 months ago | reply)

    beautiful simply beautiful

  39. tzaranek (28 months ago | reply)

    outstanding!

  40. pfile (28 months ago | reply)

    congrats on the APOD! outstanding processing.

  41. gainesp2003 (28 months ago | reply)

    Congrats on APOD!

  42. NakedTrust (28 months ago | reply)

    saw your picture on APOD today! congrats :D

  43. Roberto García 1974 (28 months ago | reply)

    congrats on APOD. A great picture. Quien tuviera ese equipo....?

  44. Ś3ềẻď (28 months ago | reply)

    yes nice nice

  45. Hypnostar (25 months ago | reply)

    Wooooooooooooooooooow!!!

  46. RioParadiso Studio (25 months ago | reply)

    My friend... did you win a trip to Chile with your photos man?! At least an up and down to Mars would make justice to it!!! Dream Work

  47. ikietoy (25 months ago | reply)

    I think this is the most stunning of any of the photographs published here. BRAVO!

  48. This photo was invited and added to the please bury me here group.

  49. This photo was invited and added to the • group.

  50. janvavrusa (21 months ago | reply)

    Awesome image! Congratulations!

  51. igorfp (18 months ago | reply)

    Thanks for all! It was great pleasure to work with such perfect RAW data from ESO.
    2.2-m MPG/ESO telescope at La Silla is exactly what I call "dream of crazy amateur astronomer". Because of it's "Lens speed" of 1:3.6, enormous widefield CCD which is cooled blow -104C and of course location under astronomically excellent sky.

    BTW. Online reports about my ESO's prize trip to Chile will be covered online in my facebook page: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1000017006376 39

  52. jleo3 (12 months ago | reply)

    ****lol****,bravo!

  53. This photo was invited and added to the Stunning Skies group.

  54. sil737 (4 months ago | reply)

    fantastic shot!

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