Sneak Peek: The Flaming Star Diptych
Added 2025-01-29 15:00:13 +0000 UTCAE Aurigae is a runaway star that was ejected out of the Orion Nebula two million years ago, and is now passing through IC405, the Flaming Star Nebula. It is lighting up part of the nebula to create a brilliant blue hue, but only in broadband light. When using 3nm narrowband filters, the distinct shape of the reflection nebula is lost in the more diffuse OIII emission. I wanted to show this effect clearly and so I created a diptych with the mapped color (SHO) version on the left and the natural color version on the right.
This photo was created from a collaboration with Janos & Dora Lenart (https://lenart.io/astronomy) who captured the LRGB data, while I captured the SHO data.
In processing this data, I needed to compress the dynamic range to show the full range of details captured. I did this by stretching each filter response three times: a low, medium, and high stretch.
I then took these different stretches and blended them using various blending techniques in Photoshop.
Still working on this technique before I present it in video form, but wanted to share this sneak peek here on Patreon.
~Nico
Comments
Wow ๐ฒ! Great Work ๐
Michael Booth
2025-06-11 02:26:40 +0000 UTCThat red! ๐ Striking photo.
Wendy Kent
2025-04-21 20:00:25 +0000 UTCHi Nico, Armand here from Spain. Thanks so much for the marvelous pieces of art that you're delighting us with and especially for the tremendous effort and enthusiasm you put into promoting astronomy, and astrophotography in particular, through your excellent videos and even better explanations.
Armand Llauradรณ
2025-03-27 18:58:57 +0000 UTCThe narrowband only is on the left (mostly yellow in color), the 'natural color' version is on the right (mostly red in color). I put 'natural color' in quotes because it is just my best attempt to accurately reflect the true colors of the nebulae while allowing for some creative freedom in blending the narrowband and broadband data. Filters used: Left panel: SII, Ha, OIII (all 3nm Antlia) Right panel: SII, Ha, OIII (all 3nm Antlia) + Luminance, Red, Green, Blue (Astrodon gen2 'e' series)
Nico Carver
2025-01-31 19:54:07 +0000 UTCAwesome post! This is some real astronomy stuff right here! โฅ
RM Haley
2025-01-31 15:19:57 +0000 UTCbeautiful images! Which one is BB and which one is NB? And which filters have been used specifically? (excuse my naive question)
Robert Testi
2025-01-31 10:03:15 +0000 UTCThanks! 55 hours narrowband, 16 hours LRGB, but it's a crop. Here's my full FOV for the narrowband: https://app.astrobin.com/i/50i5u8
Nico Carver
2025-01-30 20:11:45 +0000 UTCTodd beat me to it. In this context, it just means any kind of art with two parts side-by-side like you are seeing. The word is fairly old, and often associated with a kind of religious painting that was popular in the middle ages.
Nico Carver
2025-01-30 20:09:23 +0000 UTCFrom M-W dictionary: Diptych-a work (of art) containing two matching part.
Todd Tucker
2025-01-30 03:01:00 +0000 UTCVery Nice. I will be interested in seeing the various stretch and blending techniques since I am working on M42 right now, wanting to do a similar approach with exposures ranging from 30 seconds to 180 seconds. Thanks for sharing..
Todd Tucker
2025-01-30 02:57:52 +0000 UTCstunning. You always bring out the drama while never going over the edge into being tacky
Maggie Thrash
2025-01-29 17:31:01 +0000 UTCThis is amazing. I can't wait for the video. I am planning to image the Flaming Star on the next clear night (maybe tomorrow?). Auriga is perfectly positioned in the little bit of sky not blocked by trees. in my yard right now.
Glen Ilacqua
2025-01-29 15:29:35 +0000 UTCWow! How many hours of imaging went into this project? Itโs obvious you put a lot of work into it.
James
2025-01-29 15:11:32 +0000 UTCThanks, whatโs diptych?
Grigory Vidishev
2025-01-29 15:06:39 +0000 UTCReally spectacular, Nico!
Chris Klugewicz
2025-01-29 15:03:28 +0000 UTC
