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Tuesday, April 8, 2025

A two Frame Panorama of IC 1805, the Heart Nebula

I just published an image of the unnamed pillar-like formation inside the Heart Nebula.
I've created a two-frame mosaic from the new photo, showing its relation to Melotte 15 at the center of the Heart Nebula.

As is usually the case, these pillar-like formations point toward the source of ionization. When radiation pressure (solar wind) push gas and dust away from a newborn star cluster, denser regions of gas can resist this force and begin to collapse. This process leads to the formation of the pillar-like structures. The tips of these pillars can become the birthplace of a second generation of stars within the nebula.


A Hidden Pillar and Melotte 15 in IC 1805, the Heart Nebula


Click for a large image, 3000 x 1700 pixels.


A mapped color image from a light emitted by an ionized elements, sulfur=red, hydrogen=green and oxygen=blue. Original resolution 12.000 x 6500 pixels

Area in Large Content

Click for a large image, 2500 x 3200 pixels.



Photos used for this panorama

Melotte 15


Technical Details and other info can be seen in this blog post


Unnamed Pillar Formation


Technical Details and other info can be seen in this blog post





Strange Pillar like Formation in IC 1805, The Heart Nebula

This is an object in the Heart Nebula that I have captured from time to time. My previous photo was taken in 2012.
This new photo reveals more details, even though the exposure time for H-alpha light was only 5 hours.

The pillar-like formations are typically pointing toward a source of ionization, in this case, the more famous Melotte 15.

I haven't been able to find a name for this beautiful object


A Hidden Pillar in IC 1805, the Heart Nebula


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. Original resolution 6500 x 6500 pixels


A close up

Click for a full size detail, 1600 x 1600 pixels.




Orientation in IC 1805

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 9h
H-alpha, 15 x 1200 s, binned 1x1 = 5 h 
O-III, 6x 1200 s, binned 2x2 = 2h 
S-II, 6 x 1200 s. binned 2x2 = 2h 





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 example



NGC 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

NGC 1491, also known as LBN 704, SH2-206 or the Fossil Footprint Nebula, is an emission type bright nebula located about 9,800 light years away from Earth in the constellation of Perseus. The nebula gets its deep red coloration due to many massive stars (such as BD+50 866) embedded within NGC 1491 producing large amounts of ultraviolet radiation ionizing the elements in Nebula and making them glow light that can be seen in this image




Wide Field shots of the Area
Click for a much large image


Area of interest is marked as a white rectangle



Wider view
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


2013
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 
S-II, 6 x 1200 s. binned 2x2 = 2h 

 

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Soul Nebula, IC1848

This is a new photo of this beautiful emission area in Cassiopeia. I'm using a long focal length telescope, Celestron EDGE HD 14" at the moment for a high resolution imaging work. This tool together with a second hand Apogee Alta U 9000M camera with a 12 micron pixels delivers deep images with lots of details.


Detail of my Soul
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






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


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

This alternative framing shows the area more dynamic way





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 
S-II, 6 x 1200 s. binned 2x2 = 2h