The Crab Nebula ... Messier 1
(Click on Picture for larger view)

Added February 29, 2020 ...
The Crab Nebula … Messier 1
I took this picture using the large Celestron 11” Edge HD telescope February 29, 2020. This is a 1hr 45mn exposure from stacking 21 sub-frames of 300 seconds each

This nebula ... Messier 1 ... resembles the somewhat shape of a crab ... is located in the constellation of Taurus the Bull and is the remnant of an exploding star (supernova) that was observed in 1054. It was so bright that it was easily observed in the daytime. At that time, the star had consumed all of it inner hydrogen used in it nuclear fusion to generate heat which caused a rapid collapse which was followed by a massive explosion of its outer shell. This is what we see in this photograph. The collapse resulted in an extreme compression of the inner core leaving behind a dense neutron star with a diameter of about 12 miles. To get an idea of just how dense that is, imagine the earth compressed into the size of a soccer ball!!! Due to a physical law of 'conservation of angular momentum', the compressed neutron star rotation period increased to 33 revolutions per second and is known as a 'pulsar' emitting x-ray and gamma ray radiation. It is about 6,500 light years away. Will this be the fate of the star Betelgeuse in Orion???

Previous view ... With the 11" Celestron on Nov 28, 2019 ...
... using the Canon T7i camera April 21, 2019 ...

The Techy Stuff ... For those who want to know ...
Telescope: 11" Celestron Edge HD at f/10
Mount: Celestron CGX
Mount setting and alignment via Celestron PWI software
Rig to Indoor Computer Connection: USB 2 196 feet Extender via cat 6 cable
System Alignment: Celestron StarSense
Camera: Altair Hypercam 294c Pro TEC
Binning: 2x2
Sensor Temp: -15°C (5°F)
Filter: Altair Quadband (Narrowband)
Settings: Gain: 450
21 Sub-Frames at 300sec ea
Calibration Frames: 24 Dark, 59 Flats
Guiding: Orion Digital StarShoot Mono camera & 60mm Altair Scope
Guiding Software: PHD2 V2.6.7
Capture Software: SharpCap Pro
Stacked in Deep Sky Stacker @ 2x Drizzle
Post processing in PixInsight & Photoshop CC
Focus Controller: Celestron Auto Focuser
Light Pollution: Bortle zone 4.5 (Barely can see the Milky Way)
Sky Condition: 10 (0-10 with 10 the clearest possible)
Lunar Interference: None
Temperature: 37°F (2.8°C)
Date: February 29, 2020
Location: My Backyard, Savannah, GA

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