Nebula – AstroFotoBlog

Vela Supernova Remnant

May 15, 2023 JakubK

1 Comment

The Vela Supernova Remnant Nebula emerged from the explosive demise of a massive star, scattering its outer layers across space. Filamentary structures, shaped by shockwaves and magnetic fields, intertwine throughout the nebula, painting an intricate cosmic tapestry.

Radiating vibrant hues of red, green, and blue, the nebula’s ionized gases create a stunning visual display. Observations reveal delicate wisps of gas, shock fronts, and remnants of the original star, including a pulsar emitting electromagnetic radiation.

The Vela Supernova Remnant Nebula showcases the grandeur of stellar cataclysms. Its intricate structure and vibrant colors captivate observers, urging us to ponder the forces that shape our universe. Explore this cosmic masterpiece and unlock the mysteries of our celestial past.

I had to revisit this deep-space object with a much shorter focal length and a much bigger CMOS sensor. Last year it simply didn’t fit in the field of view.

Telescope	Samyang 135 mm F2 @f2.4
Aperture	67.5 mm
Focal length	135 mm
Mount	iOptron Skyguider Pro
Autoguiding	ZWO 174MM, QHY Mini Guide Scope
Camera	ZWO 6200MC @-10°C
Filters	IDAS NBZ 2″
Exposure	88x300s, Gain 100, bin 1×1,
Date	2023-05-15

NGC 3576 The Statue of Liberty Nebula

May 15, 2023 JakubK

H II nebula

0 Comment

Antlia 3 nm Carina DSO Kiripotib Namibia Namibia 2023 Nebula NGC 3576 NGC3576 Rainbow Astro RST135 Sharpstar 94EDPH Statue of Liberty Nebula The Statue of Liberty Nebula

Discover the breathtaking beauty of the Statue of Liberty Nebula, an ethereal masterpiece located 9,000 light-years away in the Carina constellation. Resembling the iconic symbol of freedom, this emission nebula captivates with its vibrant colors and intricate features.

The Statue of Liberty Nebula, or NGC 3576, showcases a cluster of young, massive stars at its core. Their intense radiation energizes the surrounding hydrogen gas, causing it to emit a mesmerizing red glow. Dark dust lanes intricately crisscross the nebula, adding contrast and creating a resemblance to the statue’s features.

The interplay of colors, from deep crimson to fiery orange and shimmering blue, adds depth and richness to the nebula’s allure.

The Statue of Liberty Nebula invites us to appreciate the universe’s splendor. Its resemblance to the symbol of liberty reminds us of our shared values. Gazing upon this celestial marvel, we are filled with wonder and inspired to explore the mysteries of the cosmos.

Telescope	Sharpstar 94EDPH
Aperture	94 mm
Focal length	414 mm
Mount	Rainbow Astro RST 135
Autoguiding	ZWO 178MM, QHY Mini Guide Scope
Camera	ZWO 2600MM @-10°C
Corrector	F4.4 Quad Reducer
Filters	Antlia SHO 3 nm
Exposure	134x300s, Gain 100, bin 1×1,
Date	2023-05-15

Sh2-308 Dolphin Nebula

May 13, 2023 JakubK

H II nebula

0 Comment

Antlia 3 nm Dolphin Nebula Dolphin-Head Nebula DSO Kiripotib Namibia Nebula Rainbow Astro RST135 Sh2-308 Sharpstar 94EDPH ZWO ASI 2600MM

Discover the awe-inspiring Dolphin Nebula, a captivating celestial cloud located 15,000 light-years away in the Delphinus constellation. Resembling a graceful leaping dolphin, this planetary nebula enchants observers with its vibrant colors and intricate structure.

The Dolphin Nebula is formed from the outer layers of a dying star, leaving behind a white dwarf at its core. The intense ultraviolet radiation emitted by the white dwarf illuminates the surrounding gases, creating a breathtaking display of red, green, and blue hues. Delicate filaments of gas intertwine, sculpted by powerful stellar winds and radiant energy.

Its mesmerizing colors indicate the presence of hydrogen, ionized oxygen, and helium. This celestial oasis serves as a reminder of the vastness and wonders of the universe, inspiring a sense of awe and exploration.

The Dolphin Nebula showcases the beauty and complexity of the cosmos, inviting us to contemplate the mysteries beyond our world. Its celestial symphony of colors and structure leaves us humbled by the grandeur of the universe and eager to explore its secrets.

Telescope	Sharpstar 94EDPH
Aperture	94 mm
Focal length	414 mm
Mount	Rainbow Astro RST 135
Autoguiding	ZWO 178MM, QHY Mini Guide Scope
Camera	ZWO 2600MM @-10°C
Corrector	F4.4 Quad Reducer
Filters	Antlia SHO 3 nm
Exposure	98x300s, Gain 100, bin 1×1,
Date	2023-05-13

SH 2-240 Spaghetti nebula IC 405 Flaming star nebula

February 16, 2023 JakubK

H II nebula Supernova remnant

0 Comment

Antlia Dualband High speed filter Auriga DSO Elnath Flaming star nebula HII region iOptron Skyguider Pro Nebula Samyang 135 f2 SH 2-229 SH 2-240 Spaghetti nebula Supernova remnant Taurus ZWO ASI6200MC

The Spaghetti nebula (upper left corner) is a supernova remnant. This means, roughly 40’000 years ago, there was a massive star in the middle of the spherical conglomerate of filaments. The star ended its life in a spectacular explosion and turned into a new form – a pulsar. I knew from the beginning, that I would be chasing the ghost. Cosmic Spaghetti are a very dim nebula and to capture them one needs a wide-angle telescope, fast optics, narrow band filter, and a lot of patience. I didn’t use a telescope, but a lens Samyang 135 mm f 2.0 slowed down to f 2.8, combined with a brand new dual-narrow band Antlia filter, optimized for high-speed optics, and in total, I collected the photons for nearly 10 hours.

The much brighter nebula in the bottom right corner is called Flaming Star Nebula, cataloged under IC 405. Compared to the Spaghetti Nebula, which represents the death of the star, the Flaming Star Nebula represents the vital part of the life of the star AE Aurigae. This star radiates so strongly, that it excites surrounding hydrogen gas. Therefore it is called an emission nebula.

Visually not far away, the comet C/2022 E3 ZTF was passing around Mars, but I was not distracted by that, because I was concentrating to capture as many pictures of the Spaghetti as possible. Besides, I already captured this comet recently.

Telescope	Samyang 135 mm f2.0 @ f2.8
Aperture	48 mm
Focal length	135 mm
Mount	iOptron Skyguider Pro
Autoguiding	ZWO 178MM, QHY Mini Guide Scope 30/130 mm
Camera	ZWO ASI 6200 MC @-10 °C
Filters	Antlia Dualband High speed
Exposure	113x300s, gain 100
Date	2023-02-12

IC1396 Elephant Trunk Nebula

October 5, 2022 JakubK

H II nebula

0 Comment

Cepheus DSO Elephant trunk nebula IC1396 Narrow band Nebula Rainbow Astro RST135 Sharpstar 94EDPH ZWO ASI 2600MM

Elephant Trunk Nebula is my favorite nebula in the constellation Cepheus. I photographed it many times using many different telescopes. The focal length was either too short or too long. Now I tried a focal length of 414 mm and an APS-C sensor, to frame it. I photographed this nebula for two nights, the total integration time is nearly 11 hours.

And here are the stars processed out:

Telescope	Sharpstar 94EDPH
Aperture	94 mm
Focal length	414 mm
Mount	Rainbow Astro RST 135
Autoguiding	ZWO 174MM, QHY Mini Guide Scope
Camera	ZWO 2600MM @-10°C
Corrector	F4.4 Quad Reducer
Filters	Antlia Ha, OIII, SII 3 nm
Exposure	129x300s, Gain 100, bin 1x1,
Date	2022-10-05

NGC 6888 Crescent nebula

September 6, 2022 JakubK

H II nebula

0 Comment

Antlia 3 nm Crescent nebula Cygnus DSO HII region HOO Narrow band Nebula NGC 6888 NGC6888 Rainbow Astro RST135 Sharpstar 94EDPH SHO ZWO ASI 2600MM

The Crescent nebula is an HII region in the constellation Cygnus. I photographed this deep-space object before with a relatively long focal length. The Crescent nebula is not the only nebula in the constellation Cygnus. In fact, this constellation is overpopulated with either emission or planetary nebulae. This is the reason why I picked a shorter focal length than before (wider field of view), positioned the Crescent nebula in the corner of the CMOS chip, and let the photos be collected for 3 subsequent nights. In total, I exposed 153 photos, each 5 minutes long. This means nearly 13 hours of integration time, which makes it one of the longest total exposure I spent on a single deep-space image.

Hubble palette image (SHO):

Bi-color image (HOO):

Telescope	Sharpstar 94EDPH
Aperture	94 mm
Focal length	414 mm
Mount	Rainbow Astro RST 135
Autoguiding	ZWO 174MM, QHY Mini Guide Scope
Camera	ZWO 2600MM @-10°C
Corrector	F4.4 Quad Reducer
Filters	Antlia Ha, OIII, SII 3 nm
Exposure	153x300s, Gain 100, bin 1×1,
Date	2022-09-06

NGC7000 North America Nebula

August 26, 2022 JakubK

H II nebula

0 Comment

Cygnus DSO Emission nebula HII region Nebula NGC7000 North America Nebula Rainbow Astro RST135 Sharpstar 94EDPH ZWO ASI 2600MM

I am back from a very intensive trip to Namibia. The report is still pending because I post-processed the data the whole summer. Please stay tuned. Anyway, a few days in August was nice weather, so I took the SharpStar 94 EPDH telescope and pointed into the constellation Cygnus. There are many deep-space objects in this constellation because it is on the galactic plane. Probably the brightest and the most spectacular is North Americal Nebula, sometimes called the Cygnus wall. Since I live in a light-polluted area, I used narrow-band filters to create this image, which is a combination of Hydrogen-alpha (Ha) in the green channel, oxygen III (OIII) in the blue channel, and sulfur II (SII) in the red channel.

And here is a simplified bi-color variant (red – Ha, green OIII, blue OIII):

Telescope	Sharpstar 94EDPH
Aperture	94 mm
Focal length	414 mm
Mount	Rainbow Astro RST 135
Autoguiding	ZWO 174MM, QHY Mini Guide Scope
Camera	ZWO 2600MM @-10°C
Corrector	F4.4 Quad Reducer
Filters	Antlia Ha, OIII, SII 3 nm
Exposure	96x300s, Gain 100, bin 1x1,
Date	2022-08-26

M16 Eagle nebula

July 3, 2022 JakubK

H II nebula

0 Comment

DSO Eagle nebula Gemini gf53 HII region M16 Messier16 Nebula Newton 254/1000 Pillars of Creation Serpens TS MaxField coma corrector ZWO ASI 2600MM

I am back home from Namibia, so I took the opportunity of a cloudless, moonless night to take my big Newtonian for a spin. The most prominent summer deep space object is obviously the Eagle nebula, so I pointed the telescope in the constellation Serpens and photographed this DSO whole night long. In total, I captured 64 images, each 5 minutes long.

Here is the “fake” Hubble color palette (SII, Ha, OIII):

And here is bi-color version (Ha, OIII, OIII):

Telescope	Newton 254/1000 mm
Aperture	254 mm
Focal length	950 mm
Mount	Gemini G53f
Autoguiding	ZWO 174MM, TS 60/240 mm
Camera	ZWO 2600MM @-10°C
Corrector	MaxField coma corrector
Filters	Antlia Ha, OIII, SII 3 nm
Exposure	64x300s, Gain 100, bin 1x1,
Date	2022-07-03

NGC 6188 Rim Nebula

June 1, 2022 JakubK

H II nebula

1 Comment

Ara DSO iOptron Skyguider Pro Kiripotib Namibia Nebula NGC6188 Rainbow Astro RST135 Rim Nebula Sharpstar 94EDPH The Fighting Dragons of Ara William Optics RedCat 51 ZWO ASI 2600MM ZWO ASI071MC Pro

NGC 6188 is sometimes called The Fighting Dragons of Ara. As a fan of Game of Thrones or Hobit, I simply had to capture this beauty. Two dragons are clearly visible in the middle. Their heads are illuminated by the open cluster NGC 6193. I knew that this nebula is dim, so I dedicated a lot of time to it. Specifically, I stacked 86 narrow band pictures, each 5 minutes long.

Update 9.2.2023. I am happy to announce that this photo won Czech astrophotography of the month. I submitted several pictures already and finally, I managed. I am very happy.

Telescope	Sharpstar 94EDPH
Aperture	94 mm
Focal length	414 mm
Mount	Rainbow Astro RST 135
Autoguiding	ZWO 174MM, QHY Mini Guide Scope
Camera	ZWO 2600MM @-10°C
Corrector	F4.4 Quad Reducer
Filters	Antlia Ha, OIII, SII 3 nm
Exposure	86x300s, Gain 100, bin 1x1,
Date	2022-05-30

And here is a photo of the same object, just with a shorter focal length.

Telescope	William Optics RedCat 51/250 f4.9
Aperture	51 mm
Focal length	250 mm
Mount	iOptron Skyguider Pro
Autoguiding	ZWO 178MM, QHY Mini Guide Scope 30/130 mm
Camera	ZWO ASI071 MC Pro @-10 °C
Filters	Antlia Dual Band 5 nm
Exposure	72x300s, ISO 1600
Date	2022-06-01

NGC 6357 Lobster Nebula NGC 6334 Cat’s Paw Nebula

June 1, 2022 JakubK

H II nebula

1 Comment

Cat's Paw nebula DSO HII region Kiripotib Lobster nebula Namibia Nebula NGC 6357 NGC6334 Rainbow Astro RST135 Scorpius Sharpstar 94EDPH ZWO ASI 2600MM

Both Lobster and Cat’s Pas nebulae are located in the constellation Scorpius, both are approximately 5’500 light-years from us. I tried to photograph the Lobster Nebula before, but it wasn’t an easy target due to very low southern declination. From the southern hemisphere, it is much easier. So I took the opportunity when I was in Namibia and tried to capture both nebulae in one shot.

The composition of this picture was not correctly selected, but in the end, both are in the field of view. Here is the picture processed in the “fake” Hubble palette:

And here is the bi-color version (R-Ha, G-OIII, B-OIII)

Telescope	Sharpstar 94EDPH
Aperture	94 mm
Focal length	414 mm
Mount	Rainbow Astro RST 135
Autoguiding	ZWO 174MM, QHY Mini Guide Scope
Camera	ZWO 2600MM @-10°C
Corrector	F4.4 Quad Reducer
Filters	Antlia Ha, OIII, SII 3 nm
Exposure	62x300s, Gain 100, bin 1x1,
Date	2022-06-01

Vela Supernova Remnant

June 1, 2022 JakubK

Supernova remnant

1 Comment

DSO iOptron Skyguider Pro Nebula NGC 2736 Pencil Nebula Supernova remnant Vela Vela Supernova Remnant William Optics RedCat 51 ZWO ASI071MC Pro

Supernova Remnant in the southern constellation Vela is the closest remnant to Earth. It is “only” 800 light years away from us and it has a diameter of 100 light years. This is the reason why this deep space object didn’t fit in the field of view of my portable 250 mm focal length RedCat.

The initial plan was to make a panorama of two pictures, but the pictures are not perfectly aligned. At least I have one more reason to come back to Namibia ,’-)

Telescope	William Optics RedCat 51/250 f4.9
Aperture	51 mm
Focal length	250 mm
Mount	iOptron Skyguider Pro
Autoguiding	ZWO 178MM, QHY Mini Guide Scope 30/130 mm
Camera	ZWO ASI071 MC Pro @-10 °C
Filters	Antlia Dual Band 5 nm
Exposure	36x300s, gain 95
Date	2022-06-01

IC 4628 Prawn Nebula

May 31, 2022 JakubK

H II nebula

0 Comment

DSO HII region IC4628 Kiripotib Namibia Nebula Prawn Nebula Rainbow Astro RST135 Scorpius Sharpstar 94EDPH ZWO ASI 2600MM

IC 4628, also called Prawn Nebula is an HII region in the constellation Scorpius. Due to very low southern declination, it is poorly visible even from southern Europe. The southern hemisphere is obviously a better place to observe/photograph this deep-space object for example in Namibia, where this beautiful nebula rises very high in the sky. The open cluster on the left side is called the Northern Juwel box cluster.

Telescope	Sharpstar 94EDPH
Aperture	94 mm
Focal length	414 mm
Mount	Rainbow Astro RST 135
Autoguiding	ZWO 174MM, QHY Mini Guide Scope
Camera	ZWO 2600MM @-10°C
Corrector	F4.4 Quad Reducer
Filters	Antlia Ha, OIII, SII 3 nm
Exposure	39x300s, Gain 100, bin 1x1,
Date	2022-05-31

IC 2944 Running Chicken Nebula

May 29, 2022 JakubK

H II nebula

1 Comment

Centaurus DSO HII region IC 2944 IC 2944 Running Chicken Nebula IC2944 Kiripotib Namibia Nebula Rainbow Astro RST135 Running Chicken Nebula Sharpstar 94EDPH ZWO ASI 2600MM

IC 2944 Running Chicken Nebula is an H II region located in the constellation Centaurus. It’s a galactic neighbor of the Carina Nebula because they both belong to the Sagittarius spiral arm of the Milky Way Galaxy. I must admit that this was my secondary nebula target for my trip to Namibia. Therefore, I didn’t dedicate much time – only 3 hours. However, the details popped out, so overall, I am happy with this “fake” Hubble palette picture.

And here is an even more “fake” picture, where the stars are completely removed. However, the nebulosity gained a 3D-like look.

Telescope	Sharpstar 94EDPH
Aperture	94 mm
Focal length	414 mm
Mount	Rainbow Astro RST 135
Autoguiding	ZWO 174MM, QHY Mini Guide Scope
Camera	ZWO 2600MM @-10°C
Corrector	F4.4 Quad Reducer
Filters	Antlia Ha, OIII, SII 3 nm
Exposure	36x300s, Gain 100, bin 1x1,
Date	2022-05-29

NGC 3372 Eta Carina Nebula

May 28, 2022 JakubK

H II nebula

2 Comments

Carina Carina nebula DSO Eta Carinae Great Carina Nebula Kiripotib Namibia Narrow band Nebula NGC 3372 NGC3372 Rainbow Astro RST135 Sharpstar 94EDPH ZWO ASI 2600MM

Eta Carina Nebula is the southern hemisphere’s most prominent deep space object. In fact, this nebula is the reason why I packed all my portable astro-gear and flew to Namibia. Carina is approximately 4x brighter than the Orion nebula, which could be considered a highlight of the northern hemisphere. Moreover, it’s much larger. The nebula is a combination of emission and dark nebulae, located in the constellation Carina and it’s roughly 8500 light-years away from us.

It was a struggle to get the rig working in Namibia, but after two nights I managed and the next day, when I processed the pictures, a big smile appeared on my face. Well done, mission accomplished.

During our stay at Kiripotib Namibia, the other guest rented a 14.5-inch Dobsonian telescope and allowed us to have a look at the Carina (thank you so much, Peter). It was a simply spectacular view. Such a huge aperture combined with TeleVue eyepieces – WOW effect was there. Moreover, the Dobsonian had a filter wheel with OIII, UHC, and H-beta filters. Just by turning it, one could see a completely different nebulosity. I was really happy to see this beautiful deep space object with my own eyes.

Here is the processed picture in the Hubble color palette.

And here is bi-color version (R-Ha, G-OIII, B-OIII)

Telescope	Sharpstar 94EDPH
Aperture	94 mm
Focal length	414 mm
Mount	Rainbow Astro RST 135
Autoguiding	ZWO 174MM, QHY Mini Guide Scope
Camera	ZWO 2600MM @-10°C
Corrector	F4.4 Quad Reducer
Filters	Antlia Ha, OIII, SII 3 nm
Exposure	87x300s, Gain 100, bin 1x1,
Date	2022-05-27

NGC2264 Cone nebula

March 10, 2022 JakubK

H II nebula

0 Comment

Cone nebula DSO Emission nebula HII region MaxField coma corrector Monoceros Narrow band Nebula Newton 150/600 NGC2264 Rainbow Astro RST135 ZWO ASI 2600MM

The Cone Nebula is a molecular cloud of excited hydrogen gas, located in the constellation Monoceros. It belongs to the group of nebulae, which can be observed/photographed during the winter in the northern hemisphere. I tried to capture this object a long time ago without success. I must say, it’s a very difficult one, so I attempted this time with new equipment. Specifically new extra, super, mega narrowband filters, having a bandwidth of only 3 nm. Combined with a small 6″ Newtonian telescope I was able to generate a pretty decent picture.

Here is a fake Hubble palette edit:

And here is a more natural-looking bi-color edit:

Telescope	Newton 150/600 mm
Aperture	150 mm
Focal length	570 mm
Mount	Rainbow Astro RST 135
Autoguiding	ZWO 174MM, QHY Mini Guide Scope
Camera	ZWO 2600MM @-10°C
Corrector	MaxField coma corrector
Filters	Antlia Ha, OIII, SII 3 nm
Exposure	142x300s, Gain 100, bin 1x1,
Date	2022-03-09

NGC2174 Monkey Head Nebula

March 7, 2022 JakubK

H II nebula

2 Comments

DSO Gemini gf53 HII region Monkey Head Nebula Narrow band Nebula Newton 254/1000 NGC2174 Orion ZWO ASI 2600MM

Another nebula, which resembles a head of an animal is designated NGC 2174, sometimes called Monkey Head Nebula. After capturing the Horse Head Nebula in the constellation Orion, I waited for a few days for good weather and pointed my telescope again into the Orion, this time to its northern part. Monkey Head Nebula is an HII region, which is approximately 6400 light-years away from Earth. To find a monkey is not that difficult. There is a baboon’s head on the upper left side, which is looking into the constellation Taurus.

The best way to capture this nebula is by using narrowband filters. For this purpose, I ordered a new monochrome camera ZWO 2600MM with a 2″ filter wheel. The filters are equally important as a camera, so I decided on Antlia 3 nm. As a first light, I must say that this combination works really well. I made in total 90 exposures, 5 minutes each, which means over 7 hours of integration time.

Telescope	Newton 254/1000 mm
Aperture	254 mm
Focal length	950 mm
Mount	Gemini G53f
Autoguiding	ZWO 174MM, TS 60/240 mm
Camera	ZWO 2600MM @-10°C
Corrector	MaxField coma corrector
Filters	Antlia Ha, OIII, SII 3 nm
Exposure	90x300s, Gain 100, bin 1x1,
Date	2022-03-06

B33 HORSEHEAD NEBULA

February 9, 2022 JakubK

Dark Nebula H II nebula

1 Comment

Alnitak B33 Barnard 33 Dark nebula DSO Flame Nebula Gemini gf53 HII region Horsehead Horsehead nebula Nebula Newton 254/1000 Nexus coma corrector NGC2024 Optolong L-eXtreme Orion ZWO ASI071MC Pro

Horsehead nebula is IMHO the most beautiful deep space object. It is located in the constellation Orion. Everybody knows this constellation because it can be easily identified by three aligned stars (Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka), which forms the belt of the Orion.

The nebula is very dim. Therefore, visual observation is nearly impossible, unless you have a telescope, having at least 1 meter in diameter. To photograph it, one needs a very long exposure time. I used 5 minutes per image and I took 36 of them. The nebula complex is visually very large, so the optimal focal length should be shorter than 750 mm. I used a Newtonian telescope with a focal length of 1000 mm but reduced to 750 mm by the Nexus coma corrector. It turns the Newtonian into a light-collecting bucket, but the quality suffers from that. The stars in the corners are everything, but round. Moreover, I used dual-band filter Optolong L-eXtreme, which increased the contrast of the nebula, but also made the asymmetric halo around the bright stars. I played a bit with the white balance and pushed the colors into the orange tint, to reach the warmer feeling in cold February.

Telescope	Newton 254/1000 mm
Aperture	254 mm
Focal length	750 mm
Mount	Gemini G53f
Autoguiding	ZWO 174MM, TS 60/240 mm
Camera	ZWO 071 Pro @-10°C
Corrector	Nexus coma corrector
Filters	Optolong l-eXtreme
Exposure	36x300s, Gain 95, bin 1x1,
Date	2022-02-09

IC443 Jellyfish nebula

February 6, 2022 JakubK

Supernova remnant

0 Comment

DSO Gemini Gemini gf53 IC443 Nebula Newton 254/1000 Nexus coma corrector Optolong L-eXtreme Supernova remnant ZWO ASI071MC Pro

Jellyfish Nebula is a supernova remnant in the constellation Gemini. A very long time ago a supermassive star exploded and emitted a lot of material into space. It is not clear when exactly it happened, but the latest research dates the explosion between a few thousand years and 30’000 years. The shape definitely resembles a jellyfish, having the head at the top and tentacles at the bottom and overall it looks like it floats in the space. It’s interesting how many nebulae have names related to an animal. For example the Seagull Nebula, the Elephant Trunk Nebula, the Eagle Nebula, the Lobster Nebula, the Horsehead Nebula, etc.

Telescope	Newton 254/1000 mm
Aperture	254 mm
Focal length	750 mm
Mount	Gemini G53f
Autoguiding	ZWO 174MM, TS 60/240 mm
Camera	ZWO 071 Pro @-10°C
Corrector	Nexus coma corrector
Filters	Optolong l-eXtreme
Exposure	48x300s, Gain 95, bin 1x1,
Date	2022-02-06

IC2177 Seagull Nebula

January 23, 2022 JakubK

H II nebula

0 Comment

Canis Major DSO Emission nebula HII region IC2177 Monoceros Nebula Rainbow Astro RST135 Seagull Nebula William Optics RedCat 51 ZWO ASI071MC Pro

I am not a huge fan of birding, but I captured this “Seagull” with pleasure. Initially, I noticed on my wide-angle photo, that there is a giant nebula north of Sirius. I checked in Stellarium what would be the optimal focal length and found out that this is a perfect target for William Optics RedCat combined with an APS-C sensor. Moreover, I was able to fit the M50 open cluster into the field of view (on the left side).

Telescope	William Optics RedCat 51/250 f4.9
Aperture	51 mm
Focal length	250 mm
Mount	Rainbow Astro RST 135
Autoguiding	ZWO 178MM, QHY Mini Guide Scope 30/130 mm
Camera	ZWO 071 Pro @-10°C
Corrector	no
Filters	Optolong L-eXtreme 2"
Exposure	85x180s, gain 95
Date	2022-01-23

NGC1499 California Nebula

January 23, 2022 JakubK

H II nebula

0 Comment

California nebula DSO Emission nebula Nebula NGC1499 Optolong L-eXtreme Perseus Rainbow Astro RST135 William Optics RedCat 51 ZWO ASI071MC Pro

California Nebula is a cloud of ionized hydrogen gas (HII region), which can be found in the constellation Perseus. The nebula is 1320 light-years away from Earth and it is 100 light-years long. Visual observation is very difficult, due to very low brightness. The first person who spotted this nebula was Edward Emerson Barnard in 1885. Since it is an emission nebula, it can be relatively easily photographed even under the light-polluted sky, with help of a narrowband filter.

I always wanted to capture this nebula, but the focal length must be relatively short. This is a perfect opportunity to test the William Optics RedCat. This time not with Canon EOS 6Da, but I attached a cooled astro camera ZWO ASI071 and placed the Optolong L-eXtreme dual-band filter.

Telescope	William Optics RedCat 51/250 f4.9
Aperture	51 mm
Focal length	250 mm
Mount	Rainbow Astro RST 135
Autoguiding	ZWO 178MM, QHY Mini Guide Scope 30/130 mm
Camera	ZWO 071 Pro @-10°C
Corrector	no
Filters	Optolong L-eXtreme 2"
Exposure	105x180s, gain 95
Date	2022-01-23

AstroFotoBlog

Tag: Nebula

Vela Supernova Remnant

NGC 3576 The Statue of Liberty Nebula

Sh2-308 Dolphin Nebula

SH 2-240 Spaghetti nebula IC 405 Flaming star nebula

IC1396 Elephant Trunk Nebula

NGC 6888 Crescent nebula

NGC7000 North America Nebula

M16 Eagle nebula

NGC 6188 Rim Nebula

NGC 6357 Lobster Nebula NGC 6334 Cat’s Paw Nebula

Vela Supernova Remnant

IC 4628 Prawn Nebula

IC 2944 Running Chicken Nebula

NGC 3372 Eta Carina Nebula

NGC2264 Cone nebula

NGC2174 Monkey Head Nebula

B33 HORSEHEAD NEBULA

IC443 Jellyfish nebula

IC2177 Seagull Nebula

NGC1499 California Nebula

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives

Categories

Meta