The Seagull Nebula lies just on the border between the constellations of Monoceros (The Unicorn) and Canis Major (The Great Dog) and is close to Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. Known more formally as IC 2177, it spreads its wings with a span of over 100 light-years and resembles a seagull in flight. This cloud of gas and dust is located about 3700 light-years away from Earth. Lum: 14 x 900s R: 12 x 900s G: 12 x 900s B: 13 x 900s H: 14 x 1800s Total exposure time: ~20 hours Scope: Takahashi FSQ106 Mount: Paramount ME Camera: QSI 683WSG
Lum: 14 x 900s R: 12 x 900s G: 12 x 900s B: 13 x 900s H: 14 x 1800s Total exposure time: ~20 hours Scope: Takahashi FSQ106 Mount: Paramount ME Camera: QSI 683WSG
NGC 1931 and IC 417 are found in the northern constellation Auriga - a region where star clusters and nebulae abound. An imaginative eye toward the expansive IC 417 (to the right) and diminutive NGC 1931 (to the left) suggests a cosmic spider and fly. About 10,000 light-years distant, both open star clusters are young, formed in interstellar clouds, and still embedded in glowing hydrogen gas. The more compact NGC 1931 is about 10 light-years across, with contrasting blue hues characteristic of reflected starlight. NGC 1931 is a mixed emission-reflection nebula with a core of young white-hot stars. The nebulosity is listed as Sharpless 2-237. At its center are four stars in a Trapezium-like configuration. For this reason, NGC 1931 has been referred to as a "miniature version of the Orion Nebula". [Description from SkySafariPro] Acquired the nights of Feb 16 and 20, 2015 L: 16 x 1200s R,G,B: 8 x 600s each Total exposure time: 9.3 hours Main Camera: QSI 583 WSG Guide Camera: SXV Lodestar (on OAG) Mount: Astro-Physics Mach 1 Scope: Stellarvue SV100Q (effective FL: 580mm) Image Aquisition software MaximDL Registed, Calibrated and Stacked and Post Processed with PixInsight 1.8
