Pelican & North America - as processed in Dec. 2020
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North America & Pelican Nebula - as processed in 2018
The North America Nebula (on left) is large, covering an area of more than four times the size of the full moon; but its surface brightness is low, so normally it cannot be seen with the unaided eye. Binoculars and telescopes with large fields of view (approximately 3°) will show it as a foggy patch of light under sufficiently dark skies. However, using a UHC filter, which filters out some unwanted wavelengths of light, it can be seen without magnification under dark skies. Its prominent shape and especially its reddish color (from the hydrogen Hα emission line) show up in RGB photographs of the area.
The portion of the nebula resembling Mexico and Central America is known as the Cygnus Wall. This region exhibits the most concentrated star formation.
The North America Nebula and the nearby Pelican Nebula (IC 5070) (on right) are parts of the same interstellar cloud of ionized hydrogen (H II region). Between the Earth and the nebula complex lies a band of interstellar dust that absorbs the light of stars and nebulae behind it, and thereby determines the shape as we see it. The distance of the nebula complex is not precisely known, nor is the star responsible for ionizing the hydrogen so that it emits light. If the star inducing the ionization is Deneb, as some sources say, the nebula complex would be about 1,800 light-years' distance, and its absolute size (6° apparent diameter on the sky) would be 100 light-years.
The nebula was discovered by William Herschel, from Slough, England, on October 24, 1786 or by his son John Herschel before 1833.
Imaging telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FSQ130ED
Imaging cameras: FLI ML16200
Mounts: Takahashi EM 400 Temma 2M
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FS60CB
Guiding cameras: QHY CCD QHY 5 II
Focal Extender / Reducer: None
Software: Sequence Generator Pro SGP (for capture) PHD 2, Astro Pixel Processor (for stacking) Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight,
Filters: Astrodon Ha (3nm), Astrodon OIII (3nm) & Astrodon SII (3nm),
Accessories: Robofocus Focuser, ATIK EFW3
Original Resolution: 4000 x 3000
Dates: 10th Oct to 1st Nov. '18
Frames:
Astrodon Ha 12 x 20'
Astrodon OIII 10x 20'
Astrodon SII 10 x 20'
Total Time: 10 Hours 40 Minutes
Center (RA, Dec):(313.790, 43.966)
Center (RA, hms):20h 55m 09.494s
Center (Dec, dms):+43° 57' 58.383"
Size:2.12 x 1.59 deg
Radius:1.322 deg
Pixel scale:1.9 arcsec/pixel
Orientation:Up is 357 degrees E of N
The portion of the nebula resembling Mexico and Central America is known as the Cygnus Wall. This region exhibits the most concentrated star formation.
The North America Nebula and the nearby Pelican Nebula (IC 5070) (on right) are parts of the same interstellar cloud of ionized hydrogen (H II region). Between the Earth and the nebula complex lies a band of interstellar dust that absorbs the light of stars and nebulae behind it, and thereby determines the shape as we see it. The distance of the nebula complex is not precisely known, nor is the star responsible for ionizing the hydrogen so that it emits light. If the star inducing the ionization is Deneb, as some sources say, the nebula complex would be about 1,800 light-years' distance, and its absolute size (6° apparent diameter on the sky) would be 100 light-years.
The nebula was discovered by William Herschel, from Slough, England, on October 24, 1786 or by his son John Herschel before 1833.
Imaging telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FSQ130ED
Imaging cameras: FLI ML16200
Mounts: Takahashi EM 400 Temma 2M
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FS60CB
Guiding cameras: QHY CCD QHY 5 II
Focal Extender / Reducer: None
Software: Sequence Generator Pro SGP (for capture) PHD 2, Astro Pixel Processor (for stacking) Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight,
Filters: Astrodon Ha (3nm), Astrodon OIII (3nm) & Astrodon SII (3nm),
Accessories: Robofocus Focuser, ATIK EFW3
Original Resolution: 4000 x 3000
Dates: 10th Oct to 1st Nov. '18
Frames:
Astrodon Ha 12 x 20'
Astrodon OIII 10x 20'
Astrodon SII 10 x 20'
Total Time: 10 Hours 40 Minutes
Center (RA, Dec):(313.790, 43.966)
Center (RA, hms):20h 55m 09.494s
Center (Dec, dms):+43° 57' 58.383"
Size:2.12 x 1.59 deg
Radius:1.322 deg
Pixel scale:1.9 arcsec/pixel
Orientation:Up is 357 degrees E of N
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