More commonly known as the Crescent Nebula but sometimes called the Euro Nebula because of its resemblance to the currency.

This is the latest series of data captured and processed over 5 nights from GrandMesaObservatory.com in Purdy Mesa Western Colorado using the Sky-Watcher Esprit 150mm ED F7.0 Triplet APO Refractor courtesy of Sky-Watcher USA.

The data is from “System 2” and available through Grand Mesa Observatory’s Subscription services which you can read more about here: grandmesaobservatory.com/equipment-rentals

The 2 renderings in Hubble Palette (SHO) and the more natural LRGB with H-Alpha and OIII were assembled and processed in Photoshop CC, we acquired the data using the QHY163M Monochrome CCD and all 7 filters LRGB and Narrowband Ha, OIII and SII Filters by Optolong

In the Hubble Palette version the H-Alpha is mapped to Green, SII is mapped to Red and OIII is mapped to Blue and I used the natural stars from LRGB. With the LRGB version H-Alpha is mapped to red and OIII mapped to blue.

57 individual frames make up these images having a total Integration time of 12.8 hours

Image technical and capture details

By: Terry Hancock

Location: GrandMesaObservatory.com Purdy Mesa, Colorado

Dates: captured over 5 nights May 24, 25th, 29th, June 3rd and 8th 2019

H Alpha 19x900

OIII 12x900

SII 13x900

LUM 4x600

RGB 3x600

Camera: QHY163M Monochrome CMOS with 4/3-Inch sensor

Gain 85, Offset 77, Calibrated with Flat, Dark & Bias

Optics: Sky-Watcher Esprit 150mm ED Triplet APO Refractor

Filters by Optolong

Image Acquisition software Maxim DL6.0

Pre Processed in Pixinsight

Post Processed in Photoshop

The Crescent Nebula, located near the middle star that marks the heart of the constellation Cygnus, is a complex arc of gas that’s powered by the machinations of a massive dying star. Called WR 136, this star is just 4-5 million years old, but it’s big enough to have quickly burned through its store of fuel in its core and has now entered a stage where it sheds mass from its outer layer at a prodigious rate, nearly one full solar mass every 10,000 years. This fast-moving hot gas, which moves at a speed of 2,000-3,000 km/s, collides with cooler gas ejected by the star during its quieter days, and the collision excites the gas to emit light. Massive and mass-losing stars like WR 136 are called Wolf-Rayet stars. There are only about 150 such stars known in the Milky Way.

WR 136 will eventually detonate as a supernova when it finally runs of fuel and collapses. The explosion will obliterate the nebula and most other material within several dozen light years of the star. In its place will be a new type of nebula called a “supernova remnant” that consists of a rapidly expanding shock wave that excite the scant atoms lingering in the interstellar medium.

The location of the Crescent Nebula near the star Sadr in the constellation Cygnus, spread out over about 25 light years and lies at a distant 4,700 light years. It’s sometimes called the “Euro” nebula because of its resemblance to the symbol for the currency.

Explanation by publisher and author Brian Ventrudo from one of my ealier images cosmicpursuits.com/275/the-crescent-nebula/