Sunday, March 30, 2025
A Fossil Footprint Nebula, NGC 1491
I have shot this emission nebula in Perseus several times during the years and every time felt that I got more out of it.
I have wide field and mosaic images including the NGC 1491 as well as longer focal length photos with various reflecting telescopes. Some of them are included in the blog post as an exampleNGC 1491, the Fossil Footprint Nebula
Click for a large image, 1800 x 2000 pixels
In Visual Colors
Photo in visual palette from the emission of an ionized elements
In Mapped Colors
A mapped color image from a light emitted by an ionized elements,
sulfur=red, hydrogen=green and oxygen=blue
A Closeup
INFO
Wide Field shots of the Area
Click for a much large image
Click for a much large image
Area of interest is marked as a white rectangle
Wider view
Click for a much large image
Click for a much large image
Area of interest is marked as a white rectangle
Older Long Focal Length Photos of NGC 1491
2015
Blog post with technical details HERE
Technical details
Processing workflow
Image acquisition, MaximDL v6.5
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Deconvolution with a CCDStack2 Positive Constraint, 27 iterations, added at 50% weight
Color combine in PS
Levels and curves in PS
Imaging optics,
Celestron EDGE 14" with 0.7 Focal reducer
Mount,
MesuMount Mark II
Cameras,
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U9000M and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x 2 and SXV-AO Active Optics @ 5hz
filters,
Astrodon 5nm H-alpha, 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III
Total exposure time 12h
H-alpha, 24 x 1200 s, binned 1x1 = 8 h
O-III, 6x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 2h
O-III, 6x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 2h
S-II, 6 x 1200 s. binned 2x2 = 2h
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Soul Nebula, IC1848
Detail of my Soul
Click for a large image, 2000 x 2000 pixels
Click for a large image, 2000 x 2000 pixels
A mapped color image from a light emitted by an ionized elements,
sulfur=red, hydrogen=green and oxygen=blue
A Closeup
Click for a large image, 2000 x 2300 pixels
Click for a large image, 2000 x 2300 pixels
Soul nebula from 2014
A wide field mosaic image of the Milky Way
Click for a large image, 4600 x 2000 pixels
Hearth and Soul Nebulae at upper right corner
Click for a large image, 4600 x 2000 pixels
INFO
Soul Nebula, (Sh2-199, LBN 667) is an emission nebula in constellation Cassiopeia. IC 1848 is a cluster inside Soul Nebula. Distance is about 7.500 light years. This complex is a Eastern neighbor of IC 1805, the "Heart Nebula" and they are often mentioned together as Heart and Soul.
An alternative framing
Click for a large image, 2000 x 1600 pixels
Technical details
Processing workflow
Image acquisition, MaximDL v6.5
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Deconvolution with a CCDStack2 Positive Constraint, 27 iterations, added at 50% weight
Color combine in PS
Levels and curves in PS
Imaging optics,
Celestron EDGE 14" with 0.7 Focal reducer
Mount,
MesuMount Mark II
Cameras,
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U9000M and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x 2 and SXV-AO Active Optics @ 5hz
filters,
Astrodon 5nm H-alpha, 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III
Total exposure time 12h
H-alpha, 24 x 1200 s, binned 1x1 = 8 h
O-III, 6x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 2h
O-III, 6x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 2h
S-II, 6 x 1200 s. binned 2x2 = 2h
Monday, March 24, 2025
Melotte 15 in heart nebula, IC 1805
I shot material for this new photo back in February, 10 hours of exposures total for three narrowband color channels. (H-alpha, O-III and S-II)
MELOTTE 15
Click for a large image, 2000 x 2000 pixels
A mapped color image from a light emitted by an ionized elements,
sulfur=red, hydrogen=green and oxygen=blue
A Closeup
Click for a large image, 2000 x 2000 pixels
Click for a large image, 2000 x 2000 pixels
Melotte 15 in the Heart Nebula
Click for a large image, 2000 x 2500 pixels
Technical details
Processing workflow
Image acquisition, MaximDL v6.5
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Deconvolution with a CCDStack2 Positive Constraint, 27 iterations, added at 50% weight
Color combine in PS
Levels and curves in PS
Imaging optics,
Celestron EDGE 14" with 0.7 Focal reducer
Mount,
MesuMount Mark II
Cameras,
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U9000M and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x 2 and SXV-AO Active Optics @ 5hz
filters,
Astrodon 5nm H-alpha, 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III
Total exposure time 10h
H-alpha, 18 x 1200 s, binned 1x1 = 6 h
O-III, 6x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 2h
O-III, 6x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 2h
S-II, 6 x 1200 s. binned 2x2 = 2h
Monday, March 17, 2025
HFG1, a Planetary Nebula in Cassiopeia
I managed to get 17 hours of H-alpha light for the HFG1 and now I'm able to do color photo out of it.
This is a difficult target, very diffused and large, I tried to keep my processing kind of modest to bring out delectate nature of an old and dim planetary Nebula.
Total exposure time is 37 hours and signal wasn't the best possible but I'm happy with this result.
HFG1 (Heckathorn-Fesen-Gull 1)
Click for a large image, 2000x2000 pixels
A bicolor image, the light from an ionized oxygen, O-III can be seen as blueish hues, light from an ionized hydrogen, H-alpha, emits deep red light.
Closeup
HFG1 in O-III light only
Click for a large image, 2000x2000 pixels
HFG1 in the light emitted by an ionized oxygen, O-III
INFO
Planetary nebulae have nothing to do with planets. The name of planetary nebulae originated in the 18th century due to the visual similarity between some circular planetary nebulae and the planets Uranus and Neptune when viewed through small optical telescopes, the name has remained although they are not planets.
HFG1 was created by the central star V664 Cas. This is not a single star, but a dense binary star system consisting of a white dwarf and a sun-like star, which are only a few million kilometers apart and orbit every 14 hours.
Because the binary system V664 Cas moves very fast at 29 to 59 kilometers per second and ploughs through the interstellar medium together with the nebula, a bluish arc shock occurs. HFG1 leaves behind a long, red trace of approx. 10,000 year old gas.
Technical details
Processing workflow
Image acquisition, MaximDL 6.5
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Deconvolution with a CCDStack2 Positive Constraint, 27 iterations, added at 50% weight
Color combine in PotoShop
Levels and curves in PotoShop.
Imaging optics,
Celestron EDGE 14" with 0.7 Focal reducer
Mount,
Mesu Mount Mark II
Cameras,
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U9000M and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x 2 and SXV-AO Active Optics @ 5hz
filters,
Astrodon 5nm H-alpha, 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III
O-III, 60 x 1200 s = 20h
H-alpha, 51 x 1200 s = 17h
H-alpha, 51 x 1200 s = 17h
Saturday, March 8, 2025
NGC 281, a New Revision
I made a new composition out of my new NGC 281 material, the original composition and technical details can be seen here: https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2025/01/new-photo-of-ngc-281.html
This new poster format composition brings out the dynamic nature of this target better.
NGC 281
Click for a large image, 2000x2600 pixels
Click for a large image, 2000x2600 pixels
A mapped color image from a light emitted by an ionized elements,
sulfur=red, hydrogen=green and oxygen=blue
A Closeup
Thursday, March 6, 2025
A Very Deep View to my Soul, IC1848
This is a new photo of the Soul Nebula in Cassiopeia.
A total of 20 hours of H-alpha exposure, along with 6 hours of S-II and O-III combined, allows me to capture intricate details of this relatively bright astronomical cloud of gas and dust.
A Detail of IC1848, the Soul Nebula
Click for a large image, 2100x2300 pixels
Click for a large image, 2100x2300 pixels
A mapped color image from a light emitted by an ionized elements,
sulfur=red, hydrogen=green and oxygen=blue
sulfur=red, hydrogen=green and oxygen=blue
Full Resolution Details
Click for a full size, 2100x2300 pixels
Click for a full size, 2100x2300 pixels
Pillar like formations are pointing to a open cluster IC1848
Older photos of the Soul Nebula
Technical details
Processing workflow
Image acquisition, MaximDL v5.07.
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Deconvolution with a CCDStack2 Positive Constraint, 27 iterations, added at 50% weight
Color combine in PS
Levels and curves in PS
Imaging optics,
Celestron EDGE 14" with 0.7 Focal reducer
Mount,
MesuMount Mark II
Cameras,
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U9000M and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x 2 and SXV-AO Active Optics @ 5hz
filters,
Astrodon 5nm H-alpha, 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III
Total exposure time 30h
H-alpha, 60 x 1200 s, binned 1x1 = 20 h
O-III,21x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 3h
O-III,21x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 3h
S-II, 15 x 1200 s. binned 2x2 = 3h
A single calibrated 20 min exposure of H-alpha, Bin 1x1
Click for a full size image.
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
HFG1, a Challenging Planetary in Cassiopeia
I have planning to shoot this dim, diffused and large planetary nebula for a long time. The imaging season up here 65N is over in few weeks since we'll loose astronomical darkness for six months due to high latitude.
So far I have collected about 20 hours of exposures of light emitted by a triple ionized oxygen, O-III
I think it's very beautiful as it now but I'll add H-alpha light when ever weather allows.
HFG1
Click for a large image, 2000x2000 pixels
HFG1 in O-III light only
Technical details
Processing workflow
Image acquisition, MaximDL 6
Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack2.
Deconvolution with a CCDStack2 Positive Constraint, 27 iterations, added at 50% weight
Color combine in PotoShop
Levels and curves in PotoShop.
Imaging optics,
Celestron EDGE 14" with 0.7 Focal reducer
Mount,
Mesu Mount Mark II
Cameras,
Imaging camera Apogee Alta U9000M and Apogee seven slot filter wheel
Guider camera, Lodestar x 2 and SXV-AO Active Optics @ 5hz
filters,
Astrodon 5nm H-alpha, 3nm S-II and 3nm O-III
O-III, 60 x 1200 s = 20h
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