The Crab Nebula ... Messier 1
(Click on Picture for larger view)
Added November 28, 2019 ...
The Crab Nebula … Messier 1
I took this picture using the large Celestron 11” Edge HD telescope November 28, 2019. This is a 1hr 46mn exposure from stacking 53 sub-frames of 120 seconds each
This nebula is 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. .
Previous view
... using the Canon T7i camera April 21, 2019 ...
The Techy Stuff ... For those who want to know ...
Telescope: Celestron 11" Edge HD at f/7
Reducer: Celestron 0.7x
Mount: Celestron CGX
Mount control: Celestron PWI V2.2.3
Polar Alignment: QHY Pole Master
Guiding: Orion StarShoot AutoGuider Pro & 60mm Scope
Guiding Software: PHD2 ...
Camera: Altair Hypercam 294c ProTEC
Camera sensor temperature: -10°C (14°F)
Filter: None
Capture Software: SharpCap 3.2 64bit
Analogue Gain=5000 at 120-second
Total sub-frames: 53
40 Dark, Flat & Bias frames ea
Stacked in Deep Sky Stacker
Post processing in PixInsight & Photoshop CC
Bortle Light Pollution zone: 4.5 (Barely can see the Milky Way)
Sky Condition: 10 [scale of 0 (cloudy) to 10 (clear)]
No Lunar interference
Temperature: 50°F (10°C)
Location: My Backyard, Savannah, GA
Return to Pat Prokop's Heavenly Backyard Astronomy Page