Sharpless 2-54 NGC 6604 Region in Serpens

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR FULL SIZE VIEW (3200 x 2400)

Scope: MN152 "Levy" Mak-Newt 150 mm at f/4.8,  Laguna Mountains, CA   7 July 2012, Camera: ST8300M

Exposure: 16 x 9 minutes H-Alpha (1x1 bin),  8 x 4 minutes RGB Exposures (2x2 bin) 

Processing: Data Collection -  CCDSoft (as FITs).  Calibrated, stacked (Sigma Combine), LRGB channel registration, central gradient removal, and color equalization - Astroart.  Curves, Levels, HaRGB combine and finishing  - Photoshop. This image is a HaRGB combine with Ha channel and total RGB matched to minimize color shift.  Selective sharpening was applied to nebula features.   Final Image size is approximately 3200 x 2400.

North is up in this image. NGC 6604 is the star cluster relatively centered in this image. It is listed as a cluster + nebulosity and sized at 60 arc minutes - this image encompasses that nebulosity. Sharpless 54 is  a larger object as described in the catalog as a 140 arc minutes which extends well beyond this field. Sharpless 54 is also in the GUM catalog as GUM 85 and Lynd's Bright Catalog as LBN 71 and LBN 72.  The very bright object near the top does not have a specific and unique catalog reference that I am aware of. The general emission cloud is at a distance of about 6,200 light years distant from Earth  This image replaces an earlier image that can be seen in the Archives here.  The Horizontal FOV is 88'.

Image center is located approximately - Equatorial 2000: RA: 18h 18m 11s Dec: -12°05'41"

Hydrogen Alpha Emission ONLY IMAGE:

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR FULL SIZE VIEW (2400 x 1800)

All images and content remain the property of Jim Thommes - copyright 2003 - 2012

Current Web Total Hits -

^{- Unique Visitors}