NGC 281 - The Pacman Nebula in the Hubble Palette
Date: November 11th, 2020
Cosgrove’s Cosmos Catalog ➤#0059
NGC 281 Nebula - as captured in narrowband with the Astro-Physics 130mm Platform (click image for full resolution via Astrobin.com)
Table of Contents Show (Click on lines to navigate)
About the Target
NGC 281 - The Pacman Nebula.
Also known as IC 11 and Sh2-18,4 this is a bright emission nebula located 9500 light-years away in the constellation of Cassiopeia and is part of the Perseus arm of our own Milky Way galaxy.
The Annotated Image
The annotated image was created using the ImageSolver and AnnotateImage scripts in Pixinsight.
Table of Contents Show (Click on lines to navigate)
About the Project
I can only see this object for about 3 hours as it rises from and sets back into the tree line. This image was taken over the span of two evenings while we have had amazingly clear and warm November days this week. I shot with my AP 130mm F/8.35 Starfire rig running a mono camera. Total integration was about 6 hours. Images were captured in Ha, OIII, SII, and also with the RGB filters. This final image was a blend of 80% narrowband data and 20% RGB data.
The Location in the Sky
FreeStarChart,com Constellation map showing the location of the Pacman Nebula indicated by a yellow arrow.
Capture Details
Light Frames
23 x 300 seconds, bin 1x1 @ -15C, unity gain, ZWO Gen II Ha Filter
22 x 300 seconds, bin 1x1 @ -15C, unity gain, ZWO Gen II O3 Filter
22 x 300 seconds, bin 1x1 @ -15C, unity gain, ZWO Gen II S2 Filter
10 x 60 seconds, bin 1x1 @ -15C, unity gain, ZWO Gen II R Filter
10 x 60 seconds, bin 1x1 @ -15C, unity gain, ZWO Gen II G Filter
10 x 60 seconds, bin 1x1 @ -15C, unity gain, ZWO Gen II G Filter
Total of 6.8 hours
Cal Frames
25 Bias exposures
25 Dark exposures
45 Ha Flats
45 O3 Flats
45 S2 Flats
45 R flats
45 B flats
45 B flats
Capture Hardware
Scope: Astrophysics 130mm Starfire F/8.35 APO refractor
Guide Scope: Televue 76mm Doublet
Camera: ZWO ASI1600mm-pro with ZWO Filter wheel with ZWO filter set
Guide Camera: ZWO ASI290Mini
Focus Motor: Pegasus Astro Focus Cube 2
Camera Rotator: Pegasus Astro Falcon
Mount: Ioptron CEM60
Polar Alignment: Polemaster camera
Software
Capture Software: PHD2 Guider, Sequence Generator Pro controller
Image Processing: Pixinsight, Photoshop - assisted by Coffee, extensive processing indecision and second-guessing, editor regret and much swearing…..
Standardizing the base
Finally, the Tri-Pier and the its extension column arrived. This allowed me to standardize the base of the two telescope platforms. There are several reasons that made this useful. First - everything is the same when you are handling things in the dark. And secondly, I was in the process of revolutionizing how I setup at night…..