|
| |
Melotte 15
Image Information
Quote from APOD: Explanation:
Cosmic
clouds seem to form
fantastic
shapes in the central regions of emission nebula IC
1805. Of course, the clouds are sculpted by stellar winds
and radiation from massive hot stars in the nebula's
newborn star cluster,
Melotte 15. About 1.5 million years young, the cluster
stars are toward the right in this
colorful skyscape, along with dark
dust clouds in silhouette against glowing
atomic gas.
A composite of narrow and broad band telescopic images, the
view spans about 30 light-years and includes emission from
hydrogen in green, sulfur in red, and oxygen in blue hues.
Wider
field images reveal that IC 1805's simpler, overall
outline suggests its popular name -
The Heart Nebula. IC 1805 is located about 7,500 light
years away toward the constellation
Cassiopeia.
|
Ha
This image has been calibrated, aligned, stack via average combine - Linear
Fit, cropped, and then histogram stretched.
1000
2000
3000
This image has been calibrated, aligned, stack via average combine - Linear
Fit, cropped, and then histogram stretched to create the mask, mask applied to
the linear image (histogram stretch undone), PSF was used to determine the value
and used in the deconvolution tool using 20 iterations of Regularized
Richardson-Lucy, HDRWavlets tool used with lightness mask and de-ringing.
Another histogram stretch applied and curves to boost contrast
1000
2000
3000
| This Ha image of Merlotte 15, the heart of
The Heart Nebula, is made from 33 - 30 minute binned 1x1 sub-exposures.
A total of 16-1/2 hours
of data was used for this image. All data was
acquired using MaxImDl/CCD version 5.23 using ACP version 6. Images
were reduced and saved using the Image Calibration tool in Pix Insight.
Alignment, average combining, along with histogram stretching,
and curves applied using Pix
Insight 1.7. Photoshop CS 5 was used to
create the JPG versions for web presentation. The image data was
collected on November 9-25, 2012. |
Equipment and Location Information
| Date |
November 9-25, 2012 |
| Location |
Dogwood Ridge Observatory |
| Optics |
Optical Guidance Systems 12.5" f/9
Ritchey-Chretien Tube Assembly |
| Mount |
Astro Physics AP1200GTO |
| Camera |
SBIG STL11000M/AO-L/FW8 |
| Filters |
Baader LRGB
2" unmounted in the SBIG FW8 along
with Baader Ha, OIII, and SII Narrowband Filters |
| Conditions |
Temperature mid to mid 30's to mid
20's with good to very
moderate seeing. Transparency good to moderate. |
|
