Network and Cirrus Nebula

CLICK HERE FOR HIGH RESOLUTION - (2400x1600)

Scope: ZenithStar 66 mm APO at f/4.4; Location: Laguna Mountains, CA;  27 June, 2009; Camera: Canon XT 350D (Baader ACF modified)

Exposure: 18 x 8 min  (no filters) and 12 x 8 min (H-Alpha EOS Clip)  ISO 800 , 8 Darks, no Flats 

Processing: Images were captured with DSLR Focus  and saved as RAW file format. Images were decoded and dark corrected in IRIS. Images were aligned and stacked in IRIS with Sigma Median.  Dark point equalization and rough color balance  were done on the one shot color exposures in IRIS. On the H-Alpha exposure stack, RGB channels were separated and Red and Green were added (there is some signal crossed to Green in the DeBayering.. Gamma adjustments were also done in Iris. Gradient removal was done in IRIS with a pseudo-flat generation. The OSC  exposure stack was combined with the H-Alpha stack as a luminance layer  The color channels were softened and saturated before being recombined with the Luminance. Final stretching and touch up was done in PhotoShop.     Final Image size is approximately 3464x2304 - re-sampled to 2400x1600.

North is to the upper left in this image.  This image is guided.  This is an image of  apparently different objects NGC 6992 (lower left), NGC6960 (upper right), and NGC 6979 (in between). Actually they a re combined a supernova remnant for a long ago exploding star.  NGC 6992 is also known as the Network Nebula; NGC 6960 is also known as the Cirrus Nebula and sometimes "The Witches Broom". The distance of these objects from Earth is about 2,600 light years.   The Horizontal FOV is about 4 deg, 10 min.

Image Center is approximately - Equatorial 2000: RA: 20h 50m 36s Dec: +30°54'45"

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