Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Cepheus (Cep)  ·  Contains:  B160  ·  B161  ·  B162  ·  B163  ·  B365  ·  B367  ·  Erakis  ·  IC 1396  ·  PK097+03.1  ·  PK098+02.1  ·  PK100+04.1  ·  Sh2-128  ·  Sh2-131  ·  The star Garnet Star (μCep)  ·  VdB142  ·  mu. Cep
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IC 1396 | The Elephant Trunk +, Kevin Morefield
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IC 1396 | The Elephant Trunk +

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
IC 1396 | The Elephant Trunk +, Kevin Morefield
Powered byPixInsight

IC 1396 | The Elephant Trunk +

Equipment

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Acquisition details

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Description

This is more backyard data with the FSQ106 and QHY600M. There is almost no cropping at all so it just did fit!

Ionized by a massive central star, this is a site where stars have been forming as recently as the last 100,000 years. There are four interesting small objects you may see on full screen or full resolution view:

-PK 100+04.1 is a bright blue planetary just below and the right of the Garnet Star.

-SH2-128 is a tiny, 1 arc minute, emission nebula in the lower left. This was previously erroneously included on the PK list as PK 97 +03.1.

-PK 098 + 2.1 is a tiny (0.11 arc minutes!) blue planetary on the left side. I can only see this on full resolution view.

-Lan 424 -- UV-emission source (not picked up by the plate solve) This is located on the very edge of view in the lower right. Simbad does not give any hint at what it is but is sure looks like a planetary nebula.

The star colors are narrowband as produced by the channel mix. The mix used Ha and SII for Red, OIII for Green and OIII minus SII/2 for Blue. While the star colors produced are nice blues, yellows and reds, they are not perfect. The Garnet star here is yellow and not garnet at all!

Processing steps:

1) Calibration in CCDStack

2) Star Alignment and Image Integration with PI

3) Color Channel Combination with PI PixelMath, Ha[SII/Ha, OIII, OIII-SII/2]

4) StarNet++ star removal

5) Noise Reduction with Topaz AI Clear

6) PS CC Unsharp mask at 3 and 66 pixel scales

7) Hue shifting, curves, contrast vibrance, and saturation with PS CC

8) Stars replace with Lighten layer in PS CC

9) Clarity, hue shifts, in Camera Raw

10) Further noise reduction with PS CC Reduce Noise

Comments

Revisions

  • IC 1396 | The Elephant Trunk +, Kevin Morefield
    Original
  • Final
    IC 1396 | The Elephant Trunk +, Kevin Morefield
    B

B

Description: Preparing this for print, I increased brightness and contrast and did some color balance changes. I think this is an improvement.

Uploaded: ...

Sky plot

Sky plot

Histogram

IC 1396 | The Elephant Trunk +, Kevin Morefield