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Hubble's Variable Nebula for 2016 with prior years to 2011



 
 
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Old April 6th 16, 07:23 AM
WA0CKY WA0CKY is offline
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Default Hubble's Variable Nebula for 2016 with prior years to 2011

Repost after the original was lost by SpaceBanter

I break my usual rule of not retaking an object when changes are happening, thus I try to revisit variable nebulae as often as I remember and weather permits. With my to-do list always overflowing finding time means I don't revisit them as often as I'd like. I'd hoped to try it every few days for a month as it is known to change considerably over only a couple days time but weather had other ideas. This is my lone 2016 attempt at Hubble's Variable Nebula.

I was planning on running this as soon as I could get it processed but my processing computer lost its video board. When you live in the boonies with roads no Fed Ex truck can handle in winter getting a new one is a difficult process. It took me weeks to get a new one in. The backup machine has memory issues due to its 32 bit operating system that prevented me from using the same tools I'd used on this object in past years. I had to wait for the new board. Then I found clouds had hit one luminance frame and severely hurt all color frames. The system is supposed to detect lost or damaged frames and retake them but somehow that didn't happen. Rather than delay further I went with what I had, bad seeing, poor transparency and all. The text below is mostly a slightly revised version from 2014-15 adjusted for this year.

Hubble's Variable Nebula aka NGC 2261, is a highly variable nebula in Monoceros. Famous for being the first light image of the 200" Palomar Telescope in 1949 taken by Edwin Hubble himself. Movies of the nebula show it varies quite a bit over only a couple days time. Unfortunately, all my attempts to catch this have failed due to horrid weather and my failing to keep trying as my to-do list beckons strongly. So I've settled for once a year. Even then variable seeing and transparency makes for a difficult comparison. Last year I tried extra hard to get a series only days apart but the weather had other ideas. Best I could do in 2014 was two images; one my last image of 2013 and another on February 19, 2014, 51 days apart rather than a year two or three days. In 2015 and 2016 I only managed the one image as weather was even worse.

I've included my annual (and twice annual from the winter of 2013-14) images since 2011. Color of the 2011 image is highly suspect. Exposure times vary as does my processing so these aren't usable for scientific comparison. Thanks to bad weather this year I got only 3 luminance frames. Note that not only does it change above the illuminating star but the faint hook shaped piece of nebulosity south of the star also has changed. Being faint some of this is likely conditions. In 2011 it was rather obvious but then it faded. Last few years the part of the hook coming back north is getting stronger but the down-stroke is virtually gone. North of the star the main changes are on the east side though the dark band crossing the lower part of the nebula that was strong a few years ago has vanished in 2015 but seems to be returning this year. I expect there were lots of other changes I missed due to the very long time between images. Note the color in the 2011 image is somewhat suspect as my attempts at color balance were primitive back then. Likely it is redder than it would have been if processed today. I suppose I should go back and redo it.

R Mon, the variable star at its base, illuminates the nebula. It is a brand new star just exiting its birth cocoon. It is thought dust clouds from this cocoon are still orbiting the star casting various shadows on the nebula causing the variations in its details and color. In animations taken only days apart it appears illumination of the nebula flows upward from the star hitting more distant parts of the nebula over time. This gives an illusion of material moving but I am quite certain this is more like shining a flashlight beam around on a mostly stationary object.
http://umanitoba.ca/...nanimation.html

Data for the February 12, 2016 version
14" LX200R @ f/10, L=3x10' RGB=2x10', STL-11000XM, Paramount ME

Rick
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