Sh2-240 also goes by Simeis 147 or The Spaghetti Nebula but not The Camera Killer - I'll get to that a bit later. It is a very faint supernova remnant (SNR) approximately 3,000 light-years away on the boundary of the constellations of Auriga and Taurus. In addition to being faint, it is very large at 150 light-years across taking up 3 degrees of arc which corresponds to six full moons. This supernova event that made this nebula is believed to have occurred 40,000 years ago.
The fine twisty ropey filaments that make up this gorgeous looking object make this a popular target for amateurs and professionals alike. The deep reds from ionized hydrogen and blue-greens from ionized oxygen are really just incredible. All that remains from this catastrophic explosion is a fast-spinning neutron star (a.k.a. pulsar). These are some of the most dense things in the universe (a spoonful would weigh a billion tones).
I have wanted to image this for many years now but always held off for one reason or another - mainly equipment and processing skill. With my widefield setup consisting of the 200mm Canon Lens, ZWO ASI2600MC Pro, IDAS NBZ filter, and Orion Atlas Pro I was ready - I was planning to get 25 or 30 hours. I started in early January 2023 with a couple partial nights and that was it. Crappy weather for the rest of January except when the moon was in the direction of the nebula or directly behind it. By the time the moon went away, the clouds came back. This nonsense went on halfway through February when we finally had some clear nights. I managed to get another decent night for a total of 14 hours to date. No problem as more clear weather was on its way and I finally should be able to get my desired 30 hours of exposure, right?
Now for the name...If you follow me on FB or YouTube you already know what happened:The Bad News: So my beloved ZWO ASI2600MC Pro developed the dreaded silicon grease leak.
The Good News: Both ZWO and Agena Astroproducts were very helpful, supportive, and are taking care of the problem.
I made a video which shows what the leak looked on my sensor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mdq6lIm8tQ&t=13sI made the best out of the 12 hours of data I had and believe it came out fine - just wish I was able to get close to what I planned on.
Dates: 1-16-23, 1-18, 1-24, 2-6, 2-8, 2-11, 2-18
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