Last Imaging Session of 2020

Ghost Nebula Combined Data. 60×180 sec, Gain 20, Offset 100, QHY183c at -20C, L-eNhance filter, Televue TV-85 at F/5.6.

The December 26/27 weekend of 2020 was the last imaging session of the year.   I managed to bag good data for all the objects on this page.   The Heart and Soul Nebulae are still works in progress, though.

Soul Nebula 2-Panel Mosaic. 40×180 sec top panel and 42×180 sec for bottom panel. Gain 20, offset 100, QHY183c at -20C, L-eNhance filter, Televue TV-85 at F/5.6.
Cone Nebula Combined Data. 29×240 sec at Gain 11, Offset 100, and 183×30, gain 42, offset 42, QHY183c at -20C, L-eNhance filter, Televue TV-85 at F/5.6.
Tease for Heart Nebula Mosaic work in progress.

Horse Head Nebula – Winter of 2020 Version

B33, The Horse Head Nebula and Flame Nebula Region. Dec 17/18, 2020. 46×180 sec, QHY183c at -20C, Gain 20, Offset 100, Optolong L-eNhance filter, Televue TV-85 at F5.6, Bortle 7-8 zone metro area. Clear, transparent, 40F.

I had a little trouble with streetlights and two satellite trails for this shot, but I salvaged what I could.   I like the way the 3 minute sub-images are working out, though, now that I’ve tuned the guiding to get usable subs at that exposure setting.   That exposure seems to be the sweet-spot for this camera and filter combo at my location.

Below is the image above, but with data add in from my last imaging session of it from a full moon night on Halloween, 2020.   I like the way the portrait and landscape versions had diffraction spikes at 90 degrees to each other:

Horse Head and Flame Nebula Region. 262 x 30 sec at gain 37, offset 200, plus 46×180 sec, QHY183c at -20C, Gain 20, Offset 100, Optolong L-eNhance filter, Televue TV-85 at F5.6, Bortle 7-8 zone metro area. Clear, transparent, 40F.

The PacMan Nebula

The PacMan Nebula, Dec 17/18th, 2020. 120×30 sec Gain 30 and 57×180 sec Gain 20, Offset 100, QHY183c at -20C, Optolong L-eNhance filter, Televue TV-85 at F5.6, Bortle 7-8 zone metro area. Clear, transparent, 40F.

What started out as a quick imaging session to just take a look at this turned into a multi-hour session.   I did 3 one hour stacks and one with 45 minutes, with one of those 1 hour stacks shot with the 30 second subs,   A nice haul of good data that was easy to process.

Christmas Tree Cluster and The Cone Nebula

Christmas Tree Cluster and Cone Nebula – 183×30 sec, gain 42, offset 42, and 49×120 sec in 2 runs, 30×120 and 19×120. Bortle Red zone metro conditions, but clear and above average transparency skies. Seeing was average. QHY183c camera cooled to -15C. gain 20, offset 100, an L-eNhance filter and Televue TV-85 at F/5.6. Sharpcap 3.2 for acquisition. Taken Dec 1, 2020 during a full moon night.