The Crescent Nebula ... NGC 6888
July 22, 2020
(Click on Picture for larger view)
The Crescent Nebula ... NGC 6888
This is a 3-hour exposure of the nebula and surrounding area that I took on the night of July 22, 2020. I used the Orion ED80T CF telescope and the Altair Hypercam 294c Pro TEC camera.
This is an emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus, about 5,000 light-years away from Earth. It is the result of the collision of shock waves from a star that expanded to a red giant, one moving outward and one moving inward. The inward moving shock wave heats the stellar wind to X-ray-emitting temperatures. I might try it again tonight using a UHC filter to bring out more of the emission nebulosity.
This is the case where I was able to have the capture program N.I.N.A. to automatically slew to the object, center it, then record 3 hours of imaging while I was asleep. I am learning more and more about N.I.N.A.
That 'Techy' Stuf
... Links to certain equipment does not add any additional cost to you if you happen to purchase that item but does reflect back to me through my affiliate program with the vendo ...
Telescope: Orion ED80T CF
Mount: Celestron AVX
Mount setting and alignment via Celestron PWI software
Rig to Indoor Computer Connection: USB 2 196 feet Extender via cat 6 cable
Star Alignment: Celestron StarSense
Camera: Altair Hypercam 294c Pro TEC
Sensor Temperature: 0°C (32°F)
Filter: None
Capture software: N.I.N.A. v 1.10
Guiding: PHD2
Binning: 1x1
Post processing in Photoshop CC
Focus Controller: Pegasus Cube
Polar Alignment: QHY Pole Master
Light Frames used: 36 at 300 seconds / Gain: 450
Binning: 1x1
Dark Frames: Nine
Flat Frames: 30
Dark Flat Frames: 20
Stacked in Deep Sky Stacker
Post Processed in PixInsight and Photoshop CC
Seeing Conditions:10 (0-10, where 0 is total cloud cover)
Moon: No Lunar Interference
Bortle Light-Pollution zone: 4.5 (can barely see the Milkyway)
Air Temperature: 83°F
Date: July 22, 2020
Location: My Backyard, Savannah, GA
Return to Pat Prokop's Heavenly Backyard Astronomy Page