Focal Pointe Observatory
Astrophotography by Bob Franke

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NGC 7000

 

Click the image for a higher resolution view. (1200 x 1600 - 768 KB)

Instrument

Takahashi FSQ-106ED @ f/5.0 (530 mm F.L.) Captured at 2.1 arcsec/pixel. Shown at 4.40 and 9.38 arcsec/pixel.

Mount

Losmandy G11 with Gemini L4 v1.0

Camera

SBIG STF-8300M Self Guiding Package w/ mono ST-i, using an AstroDon 5nm Ha filter.

Acquisition Data

Taken 10/2/2014 to 10/22/2014 Chino Valley, AZ. with CCDSoft and CCD Commander

Exposure

Ha

390 min. (26 x 15 min. bin 1x1)

Click here for the narrow band color mapped image.

Click here for RGB color image.

Software & Processing Notes

  • CCDSoft, CCDStack, PixInsight & Photoshop CS6.

  • CCDStack to calibrate the sub exposures.

  • PixInsight processing includes registering and stacking the sub exposures and non-linear stretching with HistogramTransformation and LocalHistogramEqualization.

  • PhotoShop for the final touch up.

  • Noiseware 5, a PhotoShop plug-in.

Comment

North is to the top.

The North America Nebula in the sky can do what most North Americans on Earth cannot -- form stars. Specifically, in analogy to the Earth-confined continent, the bright part that appears as Central America and Mexico is actually a hot bed of gas, dust, and newly formed stars known as the Cygnus Wall. This monochrome skyscape shows the star forming wall lit and eroded by bright young stars, and partly hidden by the dark dust they have created. The North America Nebula (NGC 7000) spans about 50 light years and lies about 1,500 light years away toward the constellation of the Swan (Cygnus).
Source: NASA APOD