Two images from one target - got be a bargain
. Though I think the HaRGB version has more impact and beauty; I was quite disappointed with the HST version I admit.
From the online Sharpless catalogue: "This object is an excellent image to capture, but it is often passed over because of the nearby SH2-117, otherwise known as The North American Nebula. The nebula is fainter than SH2-117, but with enough time, you can get a nice high contrast image. The nebula responds well to hydrogen-alpha and poorly to Oxygen III, so a narrowband color image will not work here. However, you can get a great HA-RGB color image. Just be sure to get enough color. The object is large, so you should image this when you have a three degree field of view. Larger telescopes with a smaller field of view can center on the dark nebula rift and pick up some nice structure. In the middle of the image, just to the left of the brightest star, you will see a small planetary nebula PK 87-3.1, which can easily be seen in the larger image."
Data acquisition: Barry Wilson & Steve Milne
Processing: Barry Wilson
Comments