To complement the
mono image taken with my DSI 3 Pro, this unguided image comprises just 58 minutes using 15 sec exposures in my OSC CMOS camera. My next challenge is to merge the data and see what this produces. Captured in APT, calibrated in ASTAP and processed in Startools.
The 'dumbell' or 'apple core' nebula was the first planetary nebula to be discovered by Charles Messier in 1764 - it lies approximately 1250 LY away and comprises a shell of expanding gas, rich in ionised oxygen (green-blue) and hydrogen (red), surrounding a hot (70,000 K) bluish dwarf star - easily visible in my image.
The fainter 'wings' are not visible in such a short exposure, and generally more detail is visible using a narrow band OIII or dual band OIII/Ha filter. This image is taken in broadband using a simple IR/UV filter to reduce star bloat, but preserving the naturally colourful star field.
I'm constantly amazed, not only at the number of stars and nebulae, but also the ability of our amateur equipment to image, from the brightest skies. At 57 North 'civil darkness' limits us to less than 2 hours, even at a Bortle 2 dark sky site (revision B).
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