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Monday, January 13, 2020

First light for the Winter season 2019-20, latest ever


I haven't post any new images since March 4. 2019, this is the first light for this Winter season!
I have had some technical problems with my "new" imaging system  and the weather up here has been really bad for several months.

The new imaging system is kind of temporary solution, since I'll have new camera and optical configuration in near future. The current system is interesting combination, a massive Apogee Alta U16 camera and filter wheel is mated with Tokina AT-x 2.8 camera lens. To make this combo to work, I had to modified the camera lens heavily. I cut a way part of the lens body with the angle grinder to have enough back focus distance. (I cut a way aperture control ring and filter holder part of the lens since they are not needed in astrophotography.) I'll post some pictures soon. EDIT, here are some info and images about this configuration

First light for the Winter 2019-20, IC 1396
Please, click for a full size photo


Image is in mapped colours, from the emission of ionized elements, R=Sulphur, G=Hydrogen and B=Oxygen. The signal for ionized oxygen,.


A close up
Please, click for a full size photo


Not a bad resolution for a 300mm camera lens!
There are a tiny planetary nebula PM 1-333 visible in this image, as a howk eyed Jussi Kantola pointed out in Facebook.


Planetary Nebula?
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Just left from the IC 1396 seems to be a circular formation with some weak O-III emission. Could this be a planetary nebula? I must check this soon from the astronomical database or if somebody knows this, please. let me know.

UPDATE!


Ny friend Sabik Rasool, a planetary nebula enthusiast, Find out that this formation is a HII area discovered in 2015. This doesn't rule out, that this could be an ancient planetary nebula though. 


An experimental starless version
Please, click for a full size photo


The planetary nebula candidate at middle left stands out well in this starless photo of IC 1396 area.



INFO
IC 1396 spans hundreds of light years at distance of about 3000 light years in constellation Cepheus. The famous formation of glowing gases, the "Elephant's Trunk Nebula" can be seen at four o'clock position.
This is an active star formation region and it has several massive young stars inside it, coursing the ionization of elements of this emission nebula.


Technical details

Processing workflow

Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Deconvolution with a CCDStack2 Positive Constraint, 33 iterations, added at 50% weight
Color combine in PS CS3
Levels and curves in PS CS3.

Imaging optics
Tokina AT-x f2.8 camera lens

Mount
10-micron 1000

Cameras and filters
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U16 and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x 2 and an old spotting scope of Meade LX200


Astrodon filters,
5nm H-alpha 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III

Total exposure time

H-alpha, 12 x 600 s, binned 1x1 = 2 h
O-III, 6x 600 s, binned 2x2 = 1 h.
S-II, 3 x 600 s. binned 2x2 = 0,5 h


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