IC 443 (also known as the
Jellyfish Nebula and
Sharpless 248 (
Sh2-248)) is a galactic
supernova remnant (SNR) in the constellation
Gemini. On the plane of the sky, it is located near the star
Eta Geminorum. Its distance is roughly 5,000
light years from Earth.IC 443 may be the remains of a
supernova that occurred 3,000 - 30,000 years ago. The same supernova event likely created the
neutron starCXOU J061705.3+222127, the collapsed remnant of the stellar core. IC 443 is one of the best-studied cases of supernova remnants interacting with surrounding molecular clouds. (Wikipedia)
This object should be shot with an SOIII filter but I only have an L-eHance. Since this was taken with a brand new ASIair Plus and ASI533MC Pro camera I wasn't too concerned about the target as much as its position in the sky which made it ideal for long exposures. The rig worked perfectly and did exactly what I asked, such as I forgot to tell it to refocus periodically, Consequently I had to cull out over 50% of the frames because it was too far out of focus. The rig did a meridian flip flawlessly at about 0200 but it was already out of focus and I didn't think to check. At 0548 the telescope shut down and returned to HOME and everything shut down just like it was supposed to. I love this ASIair Plus! I started shooting MI at 1830 and went into the house. At 1930 I switched to IC443 from the comfort of my den sofa. I did sneak out periodically just to make sure everything was working fine and it was. Tonight is going to be even more fun as I learn more about how to set up a plan and execute it.
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