North American Nebula NGC7000 in Cygnus
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Scope: ST80 f/2.5 Location: Culp Valley, Anza Borrego Desert,  CA  6/26/2003 Camera: ToUcam SC3

Exposure: 16 x 20 sec IR  filter, 6 x 120 sec H-Alpha filter, 16 x 12 sec each RGB  filter. Same exposures for each of the four frames of the Mosaic.

Processing: Captured aligned and stacked in K3CCDTools in  with IR, HA,R,G,B saved as FITs. Luminance was a combination of IR, HA and Red exposures. Red was a combination of HA and Red. LRGB masters were registered and combined in Astroart. Some Lowpass filtering was applied followed by un-sharp mask on the Luminance frame. LRGB result was saved as a BMP. Background smoothed with SGBNR and minor touch up in Photoshop.

After each frame was processed, They were mosaiced in Photoshop by layer. Some rotation was required in the alignment due to the inaccuracies of the camera mounting in the exposure process. The align was successful however in spite of the errors. Some level and color balance adjustments were required to match frames. Some additional blurring and touch up of the join lines was made. All Mosaic processes done in Photoshop.

This image was taken in Culp valley in an all night session. In fact the final frame blue exposure was impaired slightly by dawn twilight. I had planned on this to be my summer project - this was my first attempt and I don't think I will make another attempt this year as I am somewhat pleased with the result. If you look to the right of the image, you can also see part of the Pelican Nebula (the subject of another image on this site. Horizontal FOV is about  160'

 

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All images and content remain the property of Jim Thommes - copyright 2003, 2006

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