varmint
I invite more abuse
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Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
#2993358 - 03/19/09 08:53 PM
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Hello all, per a previous discussion I thought I'd try and foster some targeted project work here in the sketching forum. The target I'd like to see sketched this month (well, let's say through April) would be the Leo Triplet of Galaxies: M65, M66 and NGC 3628.
Any medium or techniques go (we may ask for more specifics in a later month depending on involvement and enthusiasm for us newbs to learn new things!).
Unfortunately I can't start us off on this adventure with an example as I've been sick, have had terrible weather, dealing with too much stuff at work, and the obligatory being sick of dealing with work and the weather...
Everyone/anyone can post their sketches here, ask for pointers, etc.
I hope this ends up being a fun project for everyone.
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TenthEnemy
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/21/08
Loc: Maryland
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: varmint]
#2996746 - 03/21/09 05:37 PM Attachment (99 downloads)
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Done with graphite on white paper. They were kind of low in the sky when I sketched this, but transparency was very good; I saw spiral structure in M51 and M81 later that night. I probably should have waited until they were higher up to sketch them...
Hmm... I hope I'm not going to be the only participant here.
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varmint
I invite more abuse
Reged: 02/10/07
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: TenthEnemy]
#2997127 - 03/21/09 08:59 PM
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TenthEnemy, I'll definitely participate if this weather of mine ever gives me a good break.
There's a chance I can post my first attempt tomorrow.
One thing I really like about this Trio, that I think you captured well is that they can form a smiley face... at least that's what it always looked like to me.
That's great that you go to see some spiral structure as well, I hope to be so lucky.
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TenthEnemy
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/21/08
Loc: Maryland
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: varmint]
#2997427 - 03/22/09 12:58 AM
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I think they look like a sad face  , not a smiley face. I think there is a similar formation in the Virgo cluster somewhere. They're definitely some funny looking galaxies, I started laughing the first time I managed to see NGC 3628.
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TahaSiddiqui
super member
Reged: 10/09/08
Loc: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: TenthEnemy]
#2997480 - 03/22/09 01:51 AM
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Nice sketch TenthEnemy, I like how realistic it looks  .
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rolandlinda3
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Reged: 01/24/06
Loc: Crozet VA 22932
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: TenthEnemy]
#2997750 - 03/22/09 09:40 AM
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Good sketch. You won't be. Will try tonight and I am sure others will. Roland
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JayinUT
I'm not Sleepy
Reged: 09/19/08
Loc: Utah
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: rolandlinda3]
#2997950 - 03/22/09 11:03 AM
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Tenth,
I really like your sketch and capture of all three galaxies. I'll try but its not looking good for over the next 7 days weather wise. My last observation of the triplet was January 30, 2009. I'll post when I can grab a good look at them.
Edited by JayinUT (03/22/09 11:09 AM)
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Demelza
sage
Reged: 05/07/06
Loc: The Netherlands
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: JayinUT]
#2998645 - 03/22/09 05:53 PM Attachment (86 downloads)
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Well... A few days ago I've made a sketch of the Leo Triplet. I'm afraid I have to call it the Leo Duo... The conditions where not very good...
Edited by Demelza (03/22/09 05:53 PM)
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cildarith
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/26/04
Loc: San Diego, CA
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: Demelza]
#2999250 - 03/23/09 12:08 AM
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Very nice renditions 10th E and Demelza! The members of the Leo Triplet are far enough apart that I usually sketch them individually rather than as a group.
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CarlosEH
Postmaster
Reged: 01/19/05
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: cildarith]
#2999471 - 03/23/09 05:12 AM
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Excellent observations of the Leo Triplet (M65, M66, and NGC 3628). This is an interesting trio to observe. Thank you for sharing them with us all.
Carlos
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Jeff Young
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/04/05
Loc: Ireland
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: CarlosEH]
#2999686 - 03/23/09 09:49 AM
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I do intend to take part in this if my weather ever breaks. Like Eric I can't fit all three in a single field with my primary instrument, but I was considering doing a composite sketch: I could start with the field stars using my 4" refractor, and then fill in the galaxy details with the 16" Mak. I'm a bit unsure of this approach as it kind of goes against my normal "this is what I see in the eyepiece" mantra, but it'd be an intersting experiment (which certainly seems in tune with this thread).
Anyway, just to keep things rolling here's the NGC member from last year with my old scope:
Cheers,
-- Jeff.
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rolandlinda3
Post Laureate
Reged: 01/24/06
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: Jeff Young]
#3000033 - 03/23/09 01:00 PM
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The story is in a separate thread posted 3/23.
Our sky conditions (not too bad) and some haze/sky glow and my older eyes meant that the NGC object was just barely noticeable with averted vision. The scene took up less than 1/2 the field of view of the 22mm Panoptic. The sketch developed from astro video took up all of the screen. As the NGC object was slipping off one side of the screen (after 30 minutes) then the other two came in view since my LXD75 tripod is not perfect. However, the astro-video study was well worth the wait since the details of the objects were a real pleasure to study.
A Night with the Trio
Roland
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Jeff Young
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/04/05
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: rolandlinda3]
#3000328 - 03/23/09 02:49 PM
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Roland --
Fastastic detail you're getting with that Mallincam! I've got a buddy over in England who does his sketching with a 14" Newt and a Watec video camera, and he's getting really impressive results as well. Me thinks there might have to be one of those doohickies in my future....
Cheers,
-- Jeff.
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yann pothier
member
Reged: 10/16/07
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: varmint]
#3001611 - 03/24/09 03:46 AM
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This is the only large view of the triplet I have in my files. This was done with a 70mm refractor (F/5) at 58x, on april 9, 2004 under rural sky with limiting magnitude about 5.6
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varmint
I invite more abuse
Reged: 02/10/07
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: yann pothier]
#3001910 - 03/24/09 10:19 AM
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Wow, great sketches everyone. I attempted to capture these three last night but ran into a host of problems, the major one being that I didn't realize just how faint these guys are! I guess I got spoiled last year looking through larger instruments at darker skies!
My setup should frame the three pretty well. My C9.25 with 31mm Nagler should show all three, but I could only barely discern M65 and M66, NGC36286 was nowhere to be seen. That's when I started encountering my problems: dew. On EP's and on my corrector plate (I had adjusted collimation and that wrecked me for the evening).
I used my 80ED with 9mm Nagler which gave me approximately the same FOV (a little wider, but pretty close). M65 and M66 were faint hazy "stars" with averted vision. I'm guessing my transparency and the light pollution helped washed them out too much.
I am planning on going to a dark site on Saturday to do the Messier Marathon, if there's a reasonable break I'll try to sketch them this weekend.
I'm happy to see so many folks participating! Hopefully folks are finding this a fun exercise? I am, even with the lack of production.
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CarlosEH
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: varmint]
#3002464 - 03/24/09 03:41 PM
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Jeff and Yann,
Excellent observations of NGC 3628 and the Leo Triplet. Thank you for sharing them with us all.
Carlos
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Jeff Young
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/04/05
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: CarlosEH]
#3002562 - 03/24/09 04:51 PM
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Thanks, Carlos and Jim!
Here's last night's installment:
When combined with another from last year, it gives me the full set:
The plan is to create a composite "at-the-desk" sketch, using the existing "at-the-eyepiece" sketches as source material. (Mark Seibold has been encouraging me to experiment with larger scale, so this might just be my opportunity.)
I didn't get a chance to do a wide-angle field star sketch through my 4" refractor, though. Since the composite will be an at-the-desk exercise, would it be "appropriate" to sketch the wide-angle field stars from a planetarium program? Or do folks think all the elements of the composite need to be done at the eyepiece, even if the composite itself isn't?
-- Jeff.
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TenthEnemy
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/21/08
Loc: Maryland
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: Jeff Young]
#3002792 - 03/24/09 07:26 PM
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I don't see any reason you need to draw the rest of the starfield at the eyepiece. Just draw down to the faintest star in your current sketches. You already sketched the important parts at the EP.
Those are very nice sketches, can't wait to see them all put together.
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starquake
sage
Reged: 02/02/08
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: TenthEnemy]
#3003468 - 03/25/09 02:32 AM
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my leo triplet (the traditional one):
(12" newt, 45x, 2008.03.31)
and a bonus leo triplet:
from left to right: ngc 3222, 3226 and 3227
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CarlosEH
Postmaster
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: starquake]
#3005959 - 03/26/09 02:40 PM
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Ferenc and Jeff,
Excellent observations of the M65/M66/NGC 3628. You have captured much detail over these interesting springtime galaxies. Thank you for sharing them with us all.
Carlos
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JayinUT
I'm not Sleepy
Reged: 09/19/08
Loc: Utah
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: CarlosEH]
#3009434 - 03/28/09 09:13 AM
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Jeff,
The detail you captured in both M65 and 66 is wonderful. I really like the inner core region in M65 in your sketch.
Starquake,
I enjoy your capture of these three and really like how your NGC 3628 has a three d. look to how it is laying on the sketch.
I like and enjoyed comparing them to my capture from Jan. 30th. I want to do a new capture and sketch but the weather just isn't cooperating with me. ::sigh::
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Jeff Young
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/04/05
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: JayinUT]
#3011165 - 03/29/09 06:22 AM
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Thanks, Carlos and Jay!
I've still a bit of research to do on that M65 core. The center condensation is the galaxy core, while the one to the right is a foreground star. But the other side is too overexposed in all the images I've looked at, so I'm not yet sure whether it's another foreground star, a clump or HII region in the galaxy, or just a trick of the eye.
Cheers,
-- Jeff.
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frank5817
Postmaster
Reged: 06/13/06
Loc: Illinois
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: Jeff Young]
#3011560 - 03/29/09 11:19 AM
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Hey Jim,
This is a great thread you have started here. Many, many fine galaxy sketches posted by the very best sketchers at CN.
Frank
Edited by frank5817 (03/31/09 10:36 AM)
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varmint
I invite more abuse
Reged: 02/10/07
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: frank5817]
#3015188 - 03/30/09 11:44 PM
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Thanks Frank, I had really hoped that I could be posting the Trio by now, but with the frantic pace of running the Messier Marathon this past weekend my head just wasn't in the game (so to speak) for sketching.
Though I do have to say the views were absolutely incredible at the dark site we observed from. If you took Jeff Young's individual sketches and put them in a single FOV, there was that much detail in my 80ED! Simply amazing, and depressing at the same time. Depressing because I now have "Dark Site Envy" and know that I'm not likely to ever see that much detail from my backyard...not unless I up the aperture to something ridiculous...
Tomorrow looks to be available, though I'm concerned that my transparency is listed as below average, but I'll give it go.
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JayinUT
I'm not Sleepy
Reged: 09/19/08
Loc: Utah
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: varmint]
#3015655 - 03/31/09 09:14 AM
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Jim,
I agree, great thread you have going. I just wish the skies would settle down and allow me a night to go. I worry about that the sky will clear up next week and the moon will be too bright by then to get a good view. ::Sigh:: the good news is I am off for the month of April through I'll be on vacation with the family for one of those weeks so I should be able to get time for some good sessions weather permitting.
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varmint
I invite more abuse
Reged: 02/10/07
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: JayinUT]
#3052002 - 04/19/09 03:41 AM Attachment (63 downloads)
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Yeah! At long last I *finally* got a chance to sketch the Leo Trio/Triplet.
Below is my effort.
Observing Details:
C9.25 with 31mm T5 Nagler (76x, ~1 deg FOV)
Transparency wavered from horrible to decent, typical was about 4/9.
Seeing was average 3/5
During the middle of my pre-sketch observation time a satellite drifted through the FOV cutting through the middle of the Trio. It brightened and dimmed a few times through it's travels.
I captured it's path as a line with various darkness to highlight where it brightened and dimmed in it's travels through the EP.
NGC 3628 was very faint, but noticable. With averted vision I could discern the central core and the thin wispy extension of the galaxy. M65 and M66 were partially direct vision, but averted vision showed M66 to be more circular than cigar shaped. There appeared to be a central bar in M66 that was almost in the same line as the brighter stars surrounding it.
Looking at how I sketched the trio, it looks like an upside down smiley face that has a black eye (hence not so smiley...).
I hope you enjoy this, I couldn't pull out much more detail even when I tried going to higher magnifications. The transparency and seeing were just not very good tonight.
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Jeff Young
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/04/05
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: varmint]
#3052888 - 04/19/09 03:38 PM
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Cool sketch, Jim. (And that's a pretty good level of detail for a C9.25, poor conditions or not.)
One thing you might try is dragging a lasso selection around the three galaxies, inverting the selection, and then boosting the contrast a bit. That will make you stars brighter without altering the subtle shading of the galaxies.
Cheers,
-- Jeff.
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Jeff Young
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/04/05
Loc: Ireland
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: Jeff Young]
#3052893 - 04/19/09 03:41 PM
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BTW, I finally got out yesterday and bought a bigger sketch pad, so I'm about ready to try and put my composite together.
I inverted the 3 component sketches and boosted the contrast to ridiculous levels for printing in the hopes that I can underlay them under the composite sketch and trace the outlines and star positions. We'll see how it goes....
-- Jeff.
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varmint
I invite more abuse
Reged: 02/10/07
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: Jeff Young]
#3056320 - 04/21/09 12:25 AM
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Thanks Jeff, for the comments and the tip. I did do this in a rush (to get something posted the same night). I'll try shooting the image of it again in better light conditions and tweak it in photoshop a bit more.
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Aaron
sage
Reged: 08/28/06
Loc: Eugene OR
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: varmint]
#3057807 - 04/21/09 05:05 PM
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I just happened to do this last night:
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Jeff Young
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/04/05
Loc: Ireland
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: Jeff Young]
#3107046 - 05/15/09 04:35 PM
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Quote:
BTW, I finally got out yesterday and bought a bigger sketch pad, so I'm about ready to try and put my composite together.
I inverted the 3 component sketches and boosted the contrast to ridiculous levels for printing in the hopes that I can underlay them under the composite sketch and trace the outlines and star positions. We'll see how it goes....
-- Jeff.
I got the background stars done today. I took the printout of the wide-field view and taped it to the back of my sketch paper, held it up to a window, and traced all the stars.
I then took it apart, taped the three individual galaxy sketch printouts to the wide-field printout, and then reattached the whole shebang behind the "big" sketch. I was actually surprised at how well the field stars lined up in the 3 individual sketches. M65's were a little off, but mostly because I appear to have scaled the printout slightly wrong (it was done at 150X while the other two were at 175X).
Anyway, I had to stop there as the light was fading and with three sheets of paper to go through instead of 2 I couldn't see well enough to trace in the galaxies.
More tomorrow....
-- Jeff.
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JayinUT
I'm not Sleepy
Reged: 09/19/08
Loc: Utah
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: Jeff Young]
#3107601 - 05/15/09 10:59 PM
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Jeff,
I am enjoying your description of how you are putting the composite together. I haven't had a good night in over a month now unless I were to get up at 3:00a.m. and setup and observe from 4:00a.m. until 6:00a.m. but with work, that won't work.
It should clear up this weekend so I am hopeful . . . . guess that is what I get for buying a new observing chair, making 6 light shields and buying a new dob.
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Jeff Young
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/04/05
Loc: Ireland
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: JayinUT]
#3107971 - 05/16/09 05:29 AM Attachment (76 downloads)
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Jay --
Up here at 54°N our darkness is done for the summer. Some of the brighter targets will poke through the astronomical twilight, and the planets are certainly fine, but there won't be much in the way of galaxies to see until late Aug when it starts getting fully dark again.
At the risk of costing you *more* money, have you tried h-alpha solar viewing?
Just to keep things on subject, here's the composite taped up to the window. Even in daylight (well, the rainy stuff that passes for daylight here) the light didn't poke through 3 layers very well, so I ended up cutting out circles in the wide-field printout where the 3 narrow-field printouts overlapped.
Cheers,
-- Jeff.
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Jeff Young
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/04/05
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: Jeff Young]
#3108195 - 05/16/09 09:35 AM Attachment (68 downloads)
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Here I am copying the galaxy details from the original sketches onto the composite.
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Jeff Young
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/04/05
Loc: Ireland
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: Jeff Young]
#3108198 - 05/16/09 09:36 AM Attachment (81 downloads)
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Here's my putty rubber ("kneadable eraser" in the New World) pinched for doing the dust lane in NGC3628.
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Jeff Young
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/04/05
Loc: Ireland
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: Jeff Young]
#3108695 - 05/16/09 01:48 PM Attachment (77 downloads)
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The finished product.
(Note: 800 pixels isn't really enough to show the detail in this one. Better to zoom out your web browser window and look at it here: http://www.rokeby.ie/observatory/Sketches/LeoComposite.1200.jpg .)
Cheers,
-- Jeff.
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mapofthedead
super member
Reged: 06/01/06
Loc: Cambs, UK
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: Jeff Young]
#3110248 - 05/17/09 10:19 AM
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What a wonderful sketch Jeff, thank you for sharing and going into such great detail on how you achieved it!
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Jeff Young
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/04/05
Loc: Ireland
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Re: Show me your Current Leo Triplet Sketch
[Re: mapofthedead]
#3111000 - 05/17/09 06:00 PM
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Thanks, James!
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