The North America Nebula
The North America Nebula, also known at NGC 7000, or Caldwell 20, is about 1,800 light-years away and is approximately 3 times the size of the moon in the sky.
November 30, 2023
Once again, same data, new processing technique with Siril that better controls stars, and brings a much better depth to the image and has a better color balance!
Technical Details
Imaging Telescope: William Optics RedCat 51 II
Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI533MC Pro
Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro
Filter: SVBony UV/IR Cut 2”
Accessories: ZWO ASIAIR Plus, ZWO EAF, ZWO Filter Drawer (Gen 2)
Software: Siril, Photoshop, NoiseXterminator, Starnet
Guiding Telescope: William Optics UniGuide 32
Guiding Camera: ZWO ASI174MM
Imaging Dates: Nov. 10, 2023
Frames (gain 101.0) f/4.9 -10c: 60×180″(3h)
Integration Time: 3h
Darks/Flats/Dark Flats: 30/30/30
Bortle Dark-Sky Scale: 4.00
November 11, 2023
My first image of the North America Nebula using the new camera. I’m finally seeing the predominant red glow from the high amount of Ha emissions in this nebula. The level of detail and better color balance that I was able to achieve with the new dedicated camera vs. a mirrorless with more exposure time continues to impress me.
Technical Details
Imaging Telescope: William Optics RedCat 51 II
Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI533MC Pro
Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro
Filter: SVBony UV/IR Cut 2”
Accessories: ZWO ASIAIR Plus, ZWO EAF, ZWO Filter Drawer (Gen 2)
Software: DSS, Siril, Photoshop, AstroFlat Pro, NoiseXterminator, StarXterminator, Astronomy Tools Actions Set
Guiding Telescope: William Optics UniGuide 32
Guiding Camera: ZWO ASI174MM
Imaging Dates: Nov. 10, 2023
Frames (gain 101.0) f/4.9 -10c: 60×180″(3h)
Integration Time: 3h
Darks/Flats/Dark Flats: 30/30/30
Bortle Dark-Sky Scale: 4.00
October 31, 2023
Building on my first image of the North America Nebula. I added 2 hours of 3 minute exposures in an attempt to improve the dynamic range if the image and reduce noise. I still had difficulty achieving a similar color balance to what I’ve seen elsewhere, but I think this is much closer than my last attempt. I started using the color calibration and green noise reduction tools in Siril.
Technical Details
Imaging Telescope: William Optics RedCat 51 II
Imaging Camera: Canon EOS R
Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro
Filter: None
Accessories: ZWO ASIAIR Plus, ZWO EAF, ZWO Filter Drawer (Gen 2)
Software: DSS, Siril, Photoshop, Starnet, Astronomy Tools Actions Set
Guiding Telescope: William Optics UniGuide 32
Guiding Camera: ZWO ASI174MM
Imaging Dates: Oct. 30, 2023
Frames (ISO 1600) f/4.9: 40×180″(2h), 30×300″(2h30m)
Integration Time: 4h30m
Darks: 20/20
Bortle Dark-Sky Scale: 4.00
October 20, 2023
My first image of the North America Nebula, also known as Caldwell 20 or NGC 7000. Roughly 3x the size of a full moon in the night sky, this is a fascinating target. I was able to capture 2 and a half hours of 5 minute exposures. I typically see images of this target that are primarily a red color due to the strong Ha emissions, but I had difficulty achieving a similar color balance. There are certainly some blues and oranges in this target from the Oiii and Sii emissions, but they are typically dimmer than the Ha emissions. I believe this is due to the difference in sensitivity to that end of the spectrum in a mirrorless/DSLR vs a dedicated sensor (and filtering.)
Technical Details
Imaging Telescope: William Optics RedCat 51 II
Imaging Camera: Canon EOS R
Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro
Filter: None
Accessories: ZWO ASIAIR Plus, ZWO EAF
Software: DSS, Photoshop, Starnet, Astronomy Tools Actions Set
Guiding Telescope: William Optics UniGuide 32
Guiding Camera: ZWO ASI174MM
Imaging Dates: Oct. 30, 2023
Frames: 30×300″(2h30m) (ISO 1600) f/4.9
Integration Time: 2h30m
Darks: 20
Bortle Dark-Sky Scale: 4.00