Cygnus Loop
A little over 2,000 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus, you’ll find the Cygnus Loop; a 10,000-20,000 year old supernova remnant. The loop itself has three primary notable components: The Eastern Veil (NGC 6992), The Witch’s Broom (NGC 6960), and Pickering’s Triangle (which doesn’t appear to have a formal catalogue designation).
August 31, 2024
It’s been about 1 year since I started Astrophotography, so I figured I would circle back to one of my first targets with new equipment and new processing skills. The Cygnus Loop is ever so slightly too large for the frame of my telescope and camera, so I had to image this object as a 2-panel Mosaic. I have also decided to commit to longer integration times for my targets from now on. The first year was the enjoyment of exploring all different targets, and this year will be about collecting better data and improving processing.
Technical Details
Imaging Telescope: William Optics RedCat 51 II
Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI533MC Pro
Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro
Filter: Antlia Tri-band RGB Ultra Filter - 2” Mounted
Accessories: ZWO ASIAIR Plus, ZWO EAF, ZWO Filter Drawer (Gen 2)
Software: Siril, Starnet, Photoshop, NoiseXterminator, APF-R
Guiding Telescope: William Optics UniGuide 32
Guiding Camera: ZWO ASI174MM
Imaging Dates: August 27/29/30, 2024
Frames (gain 101.0) f/4.9 -10c: 280x180” (14h)
Integration Time: 14h
Darks/Flats/Dark Flats: 30/25/30
Bortle Dark-Sky Scale: 5.00