NGC7000 and IC5070 - North America and Pelican Nebulae

The North America Nebula, also known at NGC 7000, or Caldwell 20, is approximately 3 times the size of the moon in the sky. IC 5070, also known as the Pelican Nebula, is an active star-forming region of nebulosity directly adjacent to the North America Nebula. This star forming region is located about 1,800 light years away in the constellation Cygnus.

September 27, 2024

Completely reprocessed in PixInsight.

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 31/September 1, 2024

Frames (gain 101.0) f/4.9 -10c: 240x180” (12h)

Integration Time: 12h

Darks/Flats/Dark Flats: 30/25/30

Bortle Dark-Sky Scale: 5.00

September 2, 2024

Similar to the Cygnus Loop Mosaic, I’m going back through some old targets and give them a go with a new approach with all of the new knowledge I’ve gained and tools I’ve learned to use over the last year. The North America and Pelican Nebulae are practically bursting out of the frame with my telescope and camera combination. In line with my commitment to greater integration time this year, I gathered 12 hours of data over two nights. Compared to my prior attempts at these targets, it’s plain to see that the additional data and new processing skills make a world of difference with regard to the details. There’s improved detail in the Cygnus Wall, and significantly greater details in the dark nebulosity that strakes through the frame, splitting the two targets.