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Astrophotography and Sketching >> Sketching

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Jeff Young
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Reged: 08/04/05

Loc: Ireland
Lulin, blazar, open cluster and Ha prom (really)
      #2959538 - 03/02/09 06:46 PM

Here's an odd collection from the last couple of days.









Cheers,
-- Jeff.


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JayinUT
I'm not Sleepy
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Reged: 09/19/08

Loc: Utah
Re: Lulin, blazar, open cluster and Ha prom (really) new [Re: Jeff Young]
      #2959888 - 03/02/09 10:01 PM

Jeff,

I really enjoy your solar sketch. Having recently observed NGC 2438 I enjoy your capture of his PN, especially the star on the eastern edge. I haven't viewed Mrk 421 yet I enjoy the contrast and the labeling you've done there. Lulin is wonderful sketch and I enjoy the tail, the coma and other parts. As always your background stars are tremendous.


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frank5817
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Reged: 06/13/06

Loc: Illinois
Re: Lulin, blazar, open cluster and Ha prom (really) new [Re: JayinUT]
      #2960107 - 03/03/09 12:36 AM

Jeff,

Great collection of sketches. You always do a first class job at the eyepiece.
I caught MK 421 at about 12 mag. back in 1982 when I was monitoring it for variability.

Frank


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CarlosEH
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Reged: 01/19/05

Loc: Pembroke Pines, Broward County...
Re: Lulin, blazar, open cluster and Ha prom (really) new [Re: frank5817]
      #2960246 - 03/03/09 03:24 AM

Jeff,

An excellent set of images of solar prominences, M46 (containing the planetary nebula NGC 2438), Markarian 421 (a Blazar, or a cross between a quasar and a galaxy), and Comet Lulin. They all show impressive detail. Thank you for sharing them with us all.

Links:
http://www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky/maps/pup/pup1.gif
http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m046.html
http://members.cox.net/sidleach/m46.jpg
http://www.skyhound.com/sh/archive/mar/Markarian_421.html

Carlos


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Jeff Young
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Reged: 08/04/05

Loc: Ireland
Re: Lulin, blazar, open cluster and Ha prom (really) new [Re: CarlosEH]
      #2960287 - 03/03/09 05:08 AM

Thanks, everyone!

The glare around the two bright stars in the Mrk421 sketch represents a new technique for me. (It was added digitally while I was adding the crosshairs and mag numbers.)

Anyway, I think I like it better than an earlier effort on Abell 12 (using faint pencil spikes), but I'd be interested in your opinions:





Cheers,
-- Jeff.


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markseibold
Carpal Tunnel


Reged: 01/19/08

Loc: Portland Oregon
Re: Lulin, blazar, open cluster and Ha prom (really) new [Re: Jeff Young]
      #2960363 - 03/03/09 07:27 AM

Jeff

A great diversity of multiple sketched images! Seeing your h-alpha image of the sun and Erika's nice sketch in the current monthly contest has inspired me to observe the sun again soon when the weather permits.

Your other deep sky works are a great inspiration for me to venture out more as I have never observed Abell 12 yet. I had to search it in the web to inform myself and this came up first. A photo, a sketch and requirements to use OIII filter and suburban skies to see (Is that true?)>
http://www.skyhound.com/sh/archive/jan/PNG_198.6-06.3.html

Thanks for posting as I always learn something new from your sketches,

Mark


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Jeff Young
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Reged: 08/04/05

Loc: Ireland
Re: Lulin, blazar, open cluster and Ha prom (really) new [Re: markseibold]
      #2960486 - 03/03/09 09:08 AM

Mark --

My observing notes:

Quote:

Abell12 1/30/2008 00:15UT; Pickering 9, NELM 6, SQM 20.8
16" SCT

Unfiltered at 260x the PN is lost in the star's glare. However, if you move the star around the in a circle just outside the field-stop, an egg-shaped section of the glare remains when the star is off the ESE edge.

PN easy in averted, and sometimes direct vision with aggressive filtration (OIII). No structure in PN, but it does have somewhat of an egg shape.





Note that the evening was pretty dark and transparent for me (NELM 6 as opposed to my more usual 5.5). Under more light polluted skies, or with smaller apertures, a UHC or OIII filter might be required.

Cheers,
-- Jeff.


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CarlosEH
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Reged: 01/19/05

Loc: Pembroke Pines, Broward County...
Re: Lulin, blazar, open cluster and Ha prom (really) new [Re: Jeff Young]
      #2961916 - 03/03/09 09:16 PM

Jeff,

An excellent observation of this interesting planetary nebula in Orion. Thank you for sharing it with us all.

Carlos


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Jason H.
Pooh-Bah


Reged: 11/23/07

Loc: Central Florida
Re: Lulin, blazar, open cluster and Ha prom (really) new [Re: Jeff Young]
      #2962090 - 03/03/09 10:28 PM

You know, having for decades been looking at images in books, magazines and the internet, I never thought that I'd be so interested in sketching (I don't sketch) until I came into this forum a few weeks ago (to post Galileo's Sun sketch movie.) Since then I've been seeing such great stuff here. It's truly amazing to me that THE HUMAN ELEMENT is so interesting a perspective, and cannot be replaced by imaging. Additionally, I've even started using the sketches and personal sketch galleries I've seen in this forum as a guide to help me find some of the brighter objects as possible targets for (not-so-sensitive as other cameras) point-n-shoot cameras.

Thanks to all of you who post here for dedicating your time and observing skills for us to enjoy the art of the science.

Regards, Jason H.


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varmint
I invite more abuse
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Reged: 02/10/07

Loc: Pacifica, CA, USA
Re: Lulin, blazar, open cluster and Ha prom (really) new [Re: Jeff Young]
      #2962179 - 03/03/09 11:11 PM

Jeff, those are fantastic. I like how you've captured the halo/shading using digital editing rather than faint pencil sketching.

I haven't tried toying with the digital aspect yet, I'm still trying to improve my skills with charcoal/pencils.


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Jeff Young
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Reged: 08/04/05

Loc: Ireland
Re: Lulin, blazar, open cluster and Ha prom (really) new [Re: varmint]
      #2962531 - 03/04/09 04:47 AM

Thanks, everyone!

Any other opinions on shaded digital halos (a la Mrk421) vs. spiky pencil ones (a la Abell12)?

Cheers,
-- Jeff.


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ErixAdministrator
Toad Lily
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Reged: 12/25/04

Loc: Texas, USA
Re: Lulin, blazar, open cluster and Ha prom (really) new [Re: Jeff Young]
      #2962793 - 03/04/09 09:30 AM

Great set of sketches! NGC 2438 and M46 is superb!

As for the digital halos vs. spiky ones, I'd go with whichever is truer to what you see visually. Personally, the digital one matches better to how I see halos visually, so I'm partial to that one.


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Jeff Young
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Reged: 08/04/05

Loc: Ireland
Re: Lulin, blazar, open cluster and Ha prom (really) new [Re: Erix]
      #2962948 - 03/04/09 10:51 AM Attachment (33 downloads)

Erika --

Very insightful question. I think the answer is both: I see the spiky version at a much smaller scale, surrounded by the halo.

Which brings me to a third attempt:


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ErixAdministrator
Toad Lily
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Reged: 12/25/04

Loc: Texas, USA
Re: Lulin, blazar, open cluster and Ha prom (really) new [Re: Jeff Young]
      #2963102 - 03/04/09 12:02 PM

Oh, I think you're on to something now. But maybe the spikes are a little harsh. If you were to take the soft digital glow and then add the nice soft spikes that are very close to the Abell 12 sketch (not the longer spikes but the closest soft ones), I bet you'd hit it spot on.

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ErixAdministrator
Toad Lily
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Reged: 12/25/04

Loc: Texas, USA
Re: Lulin, blazar, open cluster and Ha prom (really) new [Re: Erix]
      #2963131 - 03/04/09 12:12 PM Attachment (29 downloads)

As a quicky, rough example, here's sort of what I meant. I'm not very good at this at all.

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Jeff Young
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Reged: 08/04/05

Loc: Ireland
Re: Lulin, blazar, open cluster and Ha prom (really) new [Re: Erix]
      #2963168 - 03/04/09 12:31 PM

Erika --

Yeah, neither am I. I was trying for a softer touch, but I did it digitally where I'm all thumbs and big toes (or something like that).

-- Jeff.


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Jeff Young
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Reged: 08/04/05

Loc: Ireland
Re: Lulin, blazar, open cluster and Ha prom (really) new [Re: Jeff Young]
      #2963177 - 03/04/09 12:38 PM Attachment (28 downloads)



"Use the blur filter, Obi-wan!"

(I also shrunk them down slightly, and bumped up the brighness at the very center.)


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ErixAdministrator
Toad Lily
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Reged: 12/25/04

Loc: Texas, USA
Re: Lulin, blazar, open cluster and Ha prom (really) new [Re: Jeff Young]
      #2963218 - 03/04/09 12:55 PM



I like that one best of all!


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markseibold
Carpal Tunnel


Reged: 01/19/08

Loc: Portland Oregon
Re: Lulin, blazar, open cluster and Ha prom (really) new [Re: Erix]
      #2963241 - 03/04/09 01:08 PM

Quote:

As a quicky, rough example, here's sort of what I meant. I'm not very good at this at all.




Erika

I think you are better than you realize. You have rendered a very realistic star image with halo.

I believe we can all learn Photoshop techniques with some practice but for me, getting the chalk on my hands and using old classic techniques seem to make for a greater challenge.

I have used Photoshop but only to save and store the art. I tried to add sometimes with Photoshop enhancement as Jeff did here but later chose to stay in the old medium of art as some people still ask me if my sketches are all hand sketched only. As you mentioned earlier in another post, you said that you used to clean up your chalk smears in Photoshop but then you said that you stopped doing that. Can you elaborate on that and tell us why? I think there is something about an artists work showing what some might consider as little errors. That is what did it for me when I saw your solar prominence sketch on Oct 12th 2006 in Spaceweather.com [If I haven't told this enough ] That is why I started seriously sketching and why I am here in CN today.

Thanks for any further info. I commend you and Jeff for starting a great tutorial here for new sketches to consider old classic rendering vs Photoshop and/or combinations of mediums.

Mark


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rodelaet
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Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
Re: Lulin, blazar, open cluster and Ha prom (really) new [Re: frank5817]
      #2963561 - 03/04/09 03:42 PM

Jeff,

Like Frank said : a first class job!

About the brighter stars, I tend to follow Erica's advice : a subtle mix of halo and spikes.


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