This is a very interesting part of the sky. I chose this target out of curiosity Sh2-116, which was initially cataloged to be a planetary nebula (Abell 71), subsequent studies in 1991 confirmed it is actually an HII emission nebula.
In the OIII images, the emissions were really faint, and for a better SNR, I collected more data. I used the H-Alpha as luminance upon the color information with a custom palette made with PS. I combined HOO as RGB only for stars and corrected the colors using PS.
Not a bad result for "only" 11 hours of total integration time! For sure, the 10" diameter and f/4 aperture helped a lot.
More details:
Sh2-115 and Sh2-116 are two notable nebulae listed in the Sharpless catalog, which is a comprehensive catalog of H II regions (emission nebulae) in the Milky Way.
Here's an overview of each:
Sh2-115
- Type: Emission Nebula (H II Region)
- Location: Constellation Cygnus
- Distance: Approximately 7,500 light-years from Earth
Characteristics:
- Appearance: Sh2-115 is a complex and large emission nebula with a rich structure, often described as having filaments and bright patches within its cloud.
- Exciting Star: The ionization of Sh2-115 is primarily driven by a cluster of young, hot stars, particularly a massive O-type star which emits intense ultraviolet radiation, causing the hydrogen gas in the nebula to glow.
- Surroundings: The nebula is part of a larger star-forming region in Cygnus, a constellation known for its rich fields of stars and nebulae due to its location along the Milky Way.
Sh2-116
- Alternate Name: Abell 71
- Location: Constellation Cygnus
- Distance: Unknow
Characteristics:
- Appearance: Sh2-116, or Abell 71, is a smaller and more compact nebula compared to Sh2-115.
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