A black and white rendition of the so-called "flaming star nebula" - also known as Sharpless 2-209 - an Hydrogen alpha rich emission region in the constellation of Auriga. According to the wikipedia entry, this nebula is only 1500 light years away. Re-processed to emphasize the 3-D appearance of the nebula. As always, I welcome comments and constructive criticism. Exposures - 25 x 30m subs in Ha (5nm) total exposure time: 12.5 hours Main Camera: QSI 583 WSG Guide Camera: SXV Lodestar (on OAG) Mount: Astro-Physics Mach 1 Scope: Explore Scientific 102 ED f/7 (FL: 700mm) Image Aquisition software MaximDL Registed, Calibrated and Stacked in MaximDL Post Processed with PixInsight 1.8 and Photoshop CS6
Description [taken from NASA APOD website]: A faint, dusty rose of the northern sky, emission nebula IC 410 lies about 12,000 light-years away in the constellation Auriga. The cloud of glowing hydrogen gas is over 100 light-years across, sculpted by stellar winds and radiation from embedded open star cluster NGC 1893. Formed in the interstellar cloud a mere 4 million years ago, bright cluster stars are seen just below the prominent dark dust cloud near picture center. Notable near the 2 o'clock position are two relatively dense streamers of material trailing away from the nebula's central regions. Potentially sites of ongoing star formation, these cosmic tadpole shapes are about 10 light-years long. Exposures - 20 x 30m subs in Ha (5nm) total exposure time: 10 hours Main Camera: QSI 583 WSG Guide Camera: SXV Lodestar (on OAG) Mount: Astro-Physics Mach 1 Scope: Explore Scientific 102 ED f/7 (FL: 700mm) Image Aquisition software MaximDL Registed, Calibrated and Stacked in MaximDL Post Processed with PixInsight 1.8 and Photoshop CS6
NGC 281 is a nebula that lies ten thousand light years away. It is sometimes called "pacman nebula", but it doesn't look like pacman at all when framed as I did above. It features large lanes and dense knots of dust and gas in which stars may still be forming. The open cluster of stars IC 1590 visible around the center has formed only in the last few million years. The lanes of dust visible left of center are likely homes of future star formation. The localized "dark spots" visible against the bright nebula. are known as Bok globules. Exposures: - 7 x 30m subs in Ha (5nm) Total exposure time: 3.5 hours Acquired from my backyard on Dec 20, 2013 I don't usually stack such a small number of subs, but I wanted to test a new reducer and motorized focuser before storing the telescope away for the holidays. Equipment: Main Camera: QSI 583 WSG Guide Camera: SXV Lodestar (on OAG) Mount: Astro-Physics Mach 1 Scope: Celestron Edge HD 8" with 0.7x reducer (FL: ~1480mm) Acquired, Registed, Calibrated and Stacked in MaximDL v5 Post Processed with PixInsight 1.8
