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Lambda Centauri Nebula and Surroundings, Gabriel R. Santos (grsotnas)
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Lambda Centauri Nebula and Surroundings

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
Lambda Centauri Nebula and Surroundings, Gabriel R. Santos (grsotnas)
Powered byPixInsight

Lambda Centauri Nebula and Surroundings

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Acquisition details

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Description

This is a widefield of the region centered on Lambda Centauri, the brightest star in the center of the image. The most notable DSO in this image is the homonimous nebula, also known as the Running Chicken Nebula because of its apparent shape, or IC 2944. Bright nebulae abound in and around the southern constellation of Centaurus. Lambda Cen. is not far on the sky from the better known Eta Carinae Nebula. Embedded in the reddish glowing cloud of hydrogen gas, typical of emission nebulae, is an open cluster with the associated emission nebula. In the top right hand corner of the image, NGC 3581 in Carina, and below it a pronouced dark nebula is also visible. I couldn't find its catalogue name, if you know, please let me know in the comments. [Paragraph with sections adapted from Wikipedia and APOD]

This field is a real processing challenge: the very dense starfield not perfectly sampled by my too short 200mm lens challenge the compromise between star bloat, shape and making the nebulosity pop. Furthermore, my DSLR, being unmodified, captured a shy fraction of the redness of the Ha emitting nebula, and, therefore, doesn't show its full extent and difficult processing. All things told, although far from perfect, this is my rendition of the area from earlier 2016, comparable to my 1st attempt: http://astrob.in/184500/B/ Which do you prefer?

*Please check the full image 2400px - resized from original)*

Constructive criticism, comments and suggestions are more than welcome in the comments section. Thank's for taking your time to look at this image.

Taken from Rural Skies (Bortle 3-4; NELM ~6.2; SQM ~21.4*calculated), from Cristina, MG, Brazil (22ºS latitude).

Date and Time: April 9th, 2016, at 22h (UTC-3, start of capture)

Camera: Unmodded Canon T4i/650D, at ISO 800

Lens: Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8, at 200mm, operated at f/3.5

Mount: Sky-Watcher HEQ5, tracking, unguided

Exposure Detail: 20x120s (total 40min)

Comments

Revisions

  • Lambda Centauri Nebula and Surroundings, Gabriel R. Santos (grsotnas)
    Original
  • Lambda Centauri Nebula and Surroundings, Gabriel R. Santos (grsotnas)
    B
  • Final
    Lambda Centauri Nebula and Surroundings, Gabriel R. Santos (grsotnas)
    C

B

Description: Improved color, a little bluer

Uploaded: ...

C

Description: Revision -B- with added saturation

Uploaded: ...

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Lambda Centauri Nebula and Surroundings, Gabriel R. Santos (grsotnas)