Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Perseus (Per)  ·  Contains:  46 ksi Per  ·  California nebula  ·  HD24664  ·  HD24747  ·  HD25152  ·  HD25308  ·  HD25329  ·  HD275900  ·  HD275908  ·  HD275909  ·  HD275950  ·  HD275954  ·  HD275956  ·  HD275957  ·  HD275958  ·  HD275959  ·  HD275963  ·  HD275964  ·  HD276003  ·  HD276005  ·  HD276006  ·  HD276007  ·  HD276008  ·  HD279140  ·  HD279141  ·  HD279142  ·  HD279143  ·  HD279146  ·  HD279147  ·  HD279148  ·  And 109 more.
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The California Nebula 6-panel mosaic in Ha, Eric Solís
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The California Nebula 6-panel mosaic in Ha

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
The California Nebula 6-panel mosaic in Ha, Eric Solís
Powered byPixInsight

The California Nebula 6-panel mosaic in Ha

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Description

The California Nebula (NGC1499) is a large emission in the constellation Perseus. The nebula is over 100 light-years across and spans over 2.5 degrees in the night sky (5 times the width of the full moon). It's glow is a result of radiation from the nearby bright star ξ Persei. Coincidentally, the latitude of central California matches the declination of the nebula, so the object reaches the zenith over the middle of its eponymous state, which also happens to be the state where I was born

This is my first ever mosaic image, consisting of 6 panels of Ha data gathered in one evening using the magic of Sequence Generator Pro to coordinate the capture. The processing is definitely involved for a mosaic compared to a single image, but I'm quite pleased with the initial result (or at least that there are not any obvious visible seams where the panels overlap). I used PixInsight for all steps of the processing, including registering the individual panels to a synthetic star image produced with the CatalogStarGenerator script and then merging the images using the Gradient Merge Mosaic. I'm definitely interested in any tips and tricks that anyone has on processing or capturing mosaics.

I plan on getting some quick RGB data in the near future, so I can produce an initial RGB version with the nebula mapped to the red channel. Then I'll work on adding O-III and S-II data to produce a SHO image, although this will require cooperation from Mother Nature, which might be hard given she just decided to drop 8" of snow on us to start the season. In general, I think I might be hooked on mosaics, since it's pretty awesome to be able to extend my field of view so significantly to capture large, beautiful objects!

I should also note that this is the first image I've produced with the new Moonlite CN focuser, high-resolution stepper motor and mini USB controller on my scope, which with SGP allows me to autofocus as the temperature changes throughout the night. While it took a bit of time to get used to the software and how to properly deploy autofocus, I'm quite pleased with this upgrade so far!

Comments

Revisions

  • The California Nebula 6-panel mosaic in Ha, Eric Solís
    Original
  • The California Nebula 6-panel mosaic in Ha, Eric Solís
    B
  • The California Nebula 6-panel mosaic in Ha, Eric Solís
    C
  • Final
    The California Nebula 6-panel mosaic in Ha, Eric Solís
    D
  • The California Nebula 6-panel mosaic in Ha, Eric Solís
    E

B

Description: Full resolution image

Uploaded: ...

C

Description: I like this image in portrait orientation, it's more California-esq

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D

Description: Increased the local and overall contrast of the image. It's brighter and brings out more of the faint detail I think.

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E

Description: My first attempt at using Stratton to remove the stars from a narrow band image, process the starless nebulosity on its own, and then add back the stars.

Uploaded: ...

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The California Nebula 6-panel mosaic in Ha, Eric Solís