LDN1434, vdB18, NGC1342

LDN1434, vdB18, NGC1342

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR FULL SIZE VIEW (7260x4832)

Scope: FSQ-106N at f/5; Location: DAA Observatory, Shelter Valley, CA; Dates: 8 and 11 November, 2023; Camera: ASI2600MM (Astronomik type 2c LRGB filters)

Exposure: Exposure: Lum - 120 x 3.5 min (gain-101 1x1), RGB - 36 x 2 min (gain-101 1x1) each RGB exposures.

Processing: Data Collection - N.I.N.A. Sequencer (as FITs). Sub-frame calibration - Pixinsight (WBPP). Sub-frame registration and integration (Average combine - Linear clipping) - PixInsight (WBPP). 2x Drizzle of Lum stack - PixInsight (WBPP). Noise reduction - NoiseXTerminator - PixInsight. Non-linear stretching, normalization and gradient removal - PixInsight. Photometric RGB calibration (SPCC) - PixInsight. Deconvolution of Lum and RGB combine - BlurXTerminator. Generation of starless nebulosity Lum and RGB images for later processing - Star XTerminator. Curves, Levels, RGB combine - PixInsight. Lum Stars and Lum starless combine - PixInsight. Final finishing - Affinity Photo. Annotation - PixInsight, Aladin (Simbad), and Affinity Photo. This image is an RGB composition with luminance layering- with RGB stars added. Image processed at 12496x8352 resolution. Final Image size is approximately 7260x4832.

North is up in this image. The dark nebula LDN1434 is toward the left/center in this image. The reflection nebula vdB18 is the blue reflection structure in the upper center. The open star cluster NGC1342 is in the lower right. NGC 1342 is at a distance of about 2,171 light years; vdB18 is at distance of about 1,023 light years. NGC1342 is also known as Collinder 40 and Melotte 21 as well as by the common name 'Little Scorpion Cluster'. I think this common name is 'helped' by LBN719 and some of the surrounding dust structures down to the lower part of the image.

Also in this image are LBN719, LBN720, LBN721 and the dark nebulae TGU H1042, TGU H1051 P2 as well as numerous background galaxies that shine through the dust gaps. One interesting background galaxy (2MASX J03300873+3753368) is in the upper right. It appears as an edge on galaxy but with a larger, nearly round, bright ring. It is listed as 280 million light years distant (by redshift estimate). This would be a very unusual galactic structure. It made me wonder if it is optically aligned with a foreground planetary nebula. Yet such a planetary is not in the HASH database of planetary and planetary-like structures. Also, it is plainly in DSS2 images (colored, red, and blue) - it's a mystery.

These objects and some of the brighter stars are identified in the annotated image. Vertical FOV is approximately 2.53 degrees. Full size image scale is about 1.25 arcsec/pix.

Image center is approximately - Equatorial 2000: RA: 03h 34m 57s Dec: +37°34'52"

All images and content remain the property of Jim Thommes - copyright 2003 - 2024

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