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I agreeImaging telescope or lens:William Optics GT71 71mm f/5.9 Apo Refractor
Imaging camera:ZWO ASI1600MM Cooled PRO
Mount:Orion Atlas EQ-G
Guiding telescope or lens:Orion 50mm Guide Scope with helical focusing
Guiding camera:Lacerta M-Gen II Autoguider
Focal reducer:William Optics 0.8X Field Flattener
Software:Adobe Lightroom CC, Photoshop CC, Main Sequence Software Sequence Generator Pro, v3.0, Pleaides PixInsight Core 1.8
Filters:Astrodon OIII 3nm-31mm, Astrodon SII 3nm-31mm, Astrodon Ha 3nm-31mm
Resolution: 4656x3520
Dates:Oct. 31, 2019, Nov. 1, 2019, Nov. 3, 2019
Frames:
Astrodon Ha 3nm-31mm: 265x180" (gain: 139.00) -15C bin 1x1
Astrodon OIII 3nm-31mm: 120x180" (gain: 139.00) -15C bin 1x1
Astrodon SII 3nm-31mm: 120x180" (gain: 139.00) -15C bin 1x1
Integration: 25.2 hours
Darks: ~30
Bias: ~50
Avg. Moon age: 4.92 days
Avg. Moon phase: 25.76%
Bortle Dark-Sky Scale: 4.00
Astrometry.net job: 3049174
RA center: 4h 1' 15"
DEC center: +36° 27' 7"
Pixel scale: 2.303 arcsec/pixel
Orientation: 294.366 degrees
Field radius: 1.867
Locations: Monterey Pines Observatory, Monterey, California, United States
Data source: Backyard
Drifting through the Orion Arm of the Milky Way is the California Nebula (NGC 1499), a cloud of hydrogen and sulfur glowing red, orange, and yellow, with a wispy blue veil of oxygen. More than 100 light-years long, this "California shaped" mass is not far from the Pleiades star cluster in the constellation Perseus. In this rendition I see the Sierra Nevada mountains represented by the nebular ridges along the northeastern edge of the object, while the blue Pacific Ocean is represented by the veil of glowing oxygen fanning out from southwestern edge.
The combination of a William Optics GT71, 0.8X focal reducer, and the ASI1600MM results in a 3.82 degree X 2.55 degree field of view, wide enough to frame nearly all of the swirling perimeter structures of this beautiful nebula. I was fortunate to have clear, good quality skies for three successive nights, allowing me to collect more than 25 hours of excellent data (at f/4.7). This rendition is presented in a standard HST palette, a good choice to reveal the nebular folds and details of the main body of the object, and revealing the wispy veil of oxygen.
| SF Bay Area Imagers |
| Suburban Astrophotography |
| ZWO ASI1600MM/QHY163M |
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