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CLICK ON IMAGE FOR FULL SIZE VIEW (2000 x 1500)

Scope: Explore Scientific MN-152 "Mak-Newt" at f/4.8,  Blair Valley, Anza Borrego Desert, CA   21 February 2012, Camera: ST8300M

Exposure: 8 x 10 minutes H-Alpha (1x1 bin), 8 x 6 min IR/UV Block Filter (1x1 bin), 8 x 3 minutes RB exposures (2x2 bin), 10  x 6 min G  exposures (1 x 1 bin)

Processing: Images were captured with CCDSoft. Aligned/stacked and dark subtracted in Astroart. There was a mistake in  filter exposures that resulted in Green exposures taken in a 1 x 1 bin for longer time. Sigma Combine method was used for stacking subs.  All channels were scaled and rough color balanced in Astroart - the Green channel data was scaled and matched to the Red and Blue exposure image scale and signal level. Central Gradient removal  was done in Astroart. Channels were co-registered in Astroart.   The 10 minute 1x1 bin H-Alpha  exposures  were blended with the IR/UV Block exposure for the  main luminance construction. Level adjustments and curves were used to bring out object features.  LRGB combine was done in Photoshop.   A light background noise reduction  was performed pn the Luminance channel and selective sharpening was applied  to the LRGB image.   Final touches and color balance in Photoshop. Final Image size is approximately 3352x2532 (cropped and resized to 2000x1500).

All exposures in this image were guided; North is up in this image. NGC 2359 is also known as "Thor's Helmet" due to its distinctive shape. The "helmet" shape is a gas bubble formed by a very energetic Wolf-Rayet star in the center of this bubble. The bubble is formed from the expelled outer layers of this star that are ejected at high velocity. This region of our Milky Way galaxy  is about 10,000 light years distant  from Earth.  This image replaces an earlier image that can be seen in the Archives here. The Horizontal FOV is 85'.

Image center is located approximately - Equatorial 2000: RA: 07h 17m 30s Dec: -13°09'00" 

All images and content remain the property of Jim Thommes - copyright 2003 - 2022

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