Friday, December 26, 2025
The last new photo for the year 2025, Sh2-114
This is my final image of the year 2025: The Flying Dragon Nebula, Sharpless 114 (Sh2-114).
Captured with my new 14" Celestron Edge telescope, equipped with a 0.7× reducer and an Apogee ALTA U9000M camera with 12-micron pixels, the system is perfectly matched to my typical seeing conditions. It delivers a resolution of 0.92 arcseconds per pixel.
This image is a good example of how deep I can reach with a relatively modest total exposure time. The target is not an easy one due to its extremely low surface brightness. The total exposure time was 42 hours in H-alpha and 8 hours in O-III.
Seeing conditions were good for most of the time, varying between 1.5 and 2.2 arcseconds FWHM. The data were collected between September and November 2025.
As an interesting bonus, Kn 26, a rare quadrupolar planetary nebula, appears at the far right edge of the image field.
The Flying Dragon. Sharpless 114
Please, click for a large image, 2000x2000 pixels
Please, click for a large image, 2000x2000 pixels
The red emission originates from hydrogen (H-alpha), while the bluish tones are produced by ionised oxygen (O III). This colour combination closely represents the nebula’s natural visual appearance.
Note: Kn 26, a rare quadrupolar planetary nebula, is marked with a white ring at the far right edge of the image.
Kn26, a Quadrupolar Planetary Nebula
This rare type of planetary nebula was a welcome bonus in my image.More information about this object can be found in a paper published in 2013:
https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/pdf/2013/03/aa20592-12.pdf
The Flying Dragon in H-alpha emission only
Please, click for a large image, 2000x2000 pixels
Please, click for a large image, 2000x2000 pixels
42 hours of H-alpha light
The Flying Dragon with and without stars
Please, click for a large image, 2000x2000 pixels
Please, click for a large image, 2000x2000 pixels
Orientation in the Sky
Please, click for a large image, 2500x3200 pixels
More information about this extensive mosaic can be found here:
https://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2022/01/cygnus-mosaic-in-visual-colors.html
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 and 3nm O-III
Total exposure time 50h
H-alpha, 126 x 1200 s, binned 1x1 = 42 h
O-III, 24x 1200 s, binned 1x1 = 8
O-III, 24x 1200 s, binned 1x1 = 8
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