NGC 7380 - The Wizard Nebula - in Hubble Palette with Mixed Narrowband and RGB Filters
Date: August 27, 2020
Cosgrove’s Cosmos Catalog ➤#0051
NGC 7380 - The WIzard Nebula that was created with mixed Narrowband and RGB Data. (click image for full resolution via Astrobin.com)
Awarded Flickr “Explore” status Aug 28, 2020
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About the Target
NGC 7380, Also known as the Wizard Nebula, the Flying Horse Nebula, and Sh2-142, is a gas, dust, and young star region. Located 7200 light-years away in the constellation Cepheus, the Wizard Nebula is tough to see visually but is a favorite imaging target. Most people have no trouble making out the Wizard - wearing a pointed hat, a well-defined nose, and a bright blue star for his eye. He also appears to be wearing a cloak and posing with his hands and fingers outstretched.
The Annotated Image
The annotated image was created using Pixinsight’s ImageSolver and AnnotateImage scripts.
About the Project
This was a challenging object for me. This is my first full narrowband image and used many image processing steps that were new to me. I also collected a lot of data for this one (at least a lot for me). I collected 37x5-minute exposures over 4 nights of Ha, O3, and S2 filter data - for a total of almost 10 hours of integration. In addition to this, I collected 30x90 seconds of data for R, G, B, and another round of 15x30 seconds R, G, B for a total just short of 12 hours.
The idea here was to 1) play using both narrowband and traditional RGB data mixed in the same image. The final 30 seconds RGB data set was so I could potentially use RGB stars in a false-color narrowband image in the Hubble SHO color palette.
I ended up creating an SHO image by using the SHO_AIP2 Script in Pixinsight, which allows a false-color image to be created from a blend of Ha, O3, S2, R, G,& B data. However, since Narrowband images sometimes create stars that look a little funky, I wanted to use real RGB star data in the final image. So, later in the process, I also created RGB color images of the object. I then used Starnet - a neural network tool that removes stars from images to create an image of just the nebula. Next, I used the same tool to extract just the stars from the RGB images. I then combined the two to create this image I am sharing here today.
On the one hand, I am pleased with this image because it is my first Narrowband image. However, on the other hand, this image still has star artifacts that I do not like, and so I have an ongoing challenge to improve my processing techniques to create better star images.
Thanks for looking!
The Location in the Sky
IAU/Sky & Telescope Constellation Chart for Cepheus, showing the Wizard Nebula’s location indicated by a yellow arrow.
Capture Details
Light Frames
37 x 300 seconds Ha bin 1x1 @-15C
37 x 300 seconds OIII bin 1x1 @-15C
37 x 300 seconds SII bin 1x1 @-15C
30x90 seconds R 1x1 @-15C
30x90 seconds G 1x1 @-15C
30x90 seconds B 1x1 @-15C
30x30 seconds R 1x1 @-15C
30x30 seconds G 1x1 @-15C
30x30 seconds B 1x1 @-15C
Total of 12.25 hours
Cal Frames
50 x 2 seconds Bias exposures
25 x 300 seconds Dark exposures
50 Ha Flats
50 Oiii Flats
50 Sii Flats
50 R Flats
50 G Flats
50 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 LRGB filter set,
and Astronomiks 6nm Narrowband 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…..
Why a focuser for the Guidescope?
Basically I am making this change to make the platform consistent with the WO132 platform. I would like to be able to focus the guidescope remotely under computer control. I would also like to have the ability to swap camera and use the TV76 as a wide field imager (using the AP130 as the guide scope.