Collecting  Photons

LBN 105 - LBN 106  (Hercules)

This is one of the very few photographs existing of a very faint reflection nebula in Hercules, about 4° west of β Her. Although this area has been listed in the Sharpless catalogue of emission nebulae as SH2-73, there is no Hα emission at all in the area, but the brightest sections of the nebula shows in the Palomar-Schmidt red plates, and this probably generated the mistake. The nebula covers virtually the entire field and it is illuminated by the integral radiation field originating from the galaxy plane. These very faint reflection nebulae lies at relatively high galactic latitude (about 45°) and are categorized as integral flux nebulae to indicate the particular source of illumination. Careful inspection of the high resolution image shows scores of background galaxies that appears conspicuously reddened by the foreground dust.

ASA 10", f3.6 STL 11000. L 53x8' bin 1; RGB 21x8' bin 2 (over 15 hours in total) in four nights. Most of the data have been collected from my very polluted site, and processing has been quite arduous and required developing  a novel technique for the removal of the illumination gradients.

VdB 111 (Ophiucus)

A tiny and not very interesting reflection nebula in Ophiucus. ASA 10", f3.6 STL 11000. LRGB composite.

Region of  Scorpii

An old b/w picture for the arguably most colourful patch of the summer sky.  Antares shines at the bottom right surrounded by a reflection nebula. Farther away lies the globular cluster M4. This vintage 1985 picture was my first attempt at astrophotography with the C8. It was only almost 20 years later that, after digitizing the negative, I succeeded in bringing out the details and full extension of the subtle nebulosity. I drove all the way from Berkeley to Joshua Tree to shoot my very favourite patch of sky. I had a very large icebox to keep the hypered 2415 cool. 300 mm f 4.0. Digital stack of two 20' exposure.

Region of  Scorpii

I went back to this area of sky 20 years later with a digital camera. If you compare this image with the one above, you can notice how much of the nebulosity was captured in 40' by the venerable 2415: perhaps is not always true that film is much slower than digital.

This is a new elaboration based on some old data (Canon 300D, 135 mm f2.8, 32X4' sub-exposures) supplemented by two new data sets (350D, f2.8, 59x2' and 25x4'). The best data set by far was the last one, that has been obtained in an exceptionally dark site in Corsica. Therefore I summed the data set applying varying weights depending on the S/N ration of each image rather then on the total integration time. The Hα data set was acquired in three nights from my observatory (24x16' at f 3.1). In total the image required about 12 hr of integration. Preprocessing in Iris included the removal of some nasty gradients from the RGB data. Asinh stretching to enhance colour differences between the reflection nebulae. Final elaboration in Adobe CS using luminance masks prepared with PixInsight. 

Region of  Scorpii

My latest return to the area was in 2009 from my favourite dark site in Corsica and with the monochrome CCD. Conditions were not ideal: shooting occurred in july with the sky darkening enough only after the passage of the meridian. Nevertheless the quality of the sky and the CCD made a miracle and even if in two nights of RGB composition I collected less than 3 hours of signal in total, the image is much deeper and better that the image collected with the DSRL in 12 hours.

Visit the link for a labelled overlay showing some of the most notable objects of the area.

IC 4601 (VdB 102 - VdB 101) - LBN 1119 - LBN 1115 (Scorpio)

Near the top of the above image a tiny blu reflection nebula can be seen against a curtain of dust. In the spring of 2010 I tried to image it with the ASA astrograph from my hopeless suburban sky. Given the fact that at best the object lies only 27 over the horizon and given the abysmal weather pattern we had in 2010 it went better than I could hope for.  

NGC 6523 - M8 and NGC 6514 - M20 "Lagoon and Trifid nebulae" (Sagittarius)

Image captured from a dark site near Volterra. Megrez 80 Super Apo, 384 mm f 4.8. Modified Canon 350D, 34x4', iso 800.

NGC 6514 - M20 "Trifid nebulae" (Sagittarius)

ASA 10". An old version is visible here (300D, 26x8', 400 iso. C8, f 6.3).

NGC 6523 - M8 (Sagittarius)

The centrepiece of the Sagittarius milky way shows a complex system of interacting emission and dark nebulae. An old version is visible here (C8, f 6.3 focus, 300D, 36x4', iso 400). 

The heart of M8

A full resolution view of the nebula heart showing the tiny "hourglass" at the exciting centre of the household. Wavelet filtering with Registax, Canon 300D, 36x4', iso 400.

NGC 6611 - M16  - Eagle Nebula(Sagittarius)

Caught at the end of summer 2005 during a night of strong wind. In spite of the bloated and irregular star shapes I was surprised by how much was captured. C8, f6.3. Modified Canon 350D, 13x8', iso 800.

NGC 6618 - M17  - Omega Nebula (Sagittarius)

In a surprisingly dark and clear night I changed my photographic plans: instead of going for the Iris nebula - at that time it was gliding towards the zenith, I went for this low rider. The night was so good, for the suburban standard of my observatory, that I could easily see Shaula few degrees over the horizon. Processing was a very long affair using several luminance masked adjustments to display the core of the nebula together with the dimmer periphery. If one look carefully it is clear that there is NO background sky in this image: only red nebulosity, dust and the occasional dark nebula. This is clearly demonstrated by a Ha image of the M16-17 region. An old image shot with the venerable C8 is shown here (C8, f6.3. Canon 300D, 14x8', iso 800).

M24 and the Sagittarius star cloud

A wide field image from the transparent sky of Corsica.

Megrez 80, TV flattener, 384 mm. Canon 350D, 36x4' subs.

VdB 126 and the associated dust cloud (Vulpecula)

This is a rarely imaged reflection nebula hidden in a very dense star field in the summer Milky Way. About 14 hrs of integration with the ASA 10" and the STL11000.

NGC 6960  - Veil Nebula (Cygnus)

The east side of this most beautiful supernova remnant. The bright star at the center, 52 Cygni, is unrelated to the nebula. The bright halo around this star is caused by internal reflections inside the antipollution filter: I needed careful processing with the DBE routine of PixInsight to diminish this glare. C8 f6.3, 40x8' iso 800, modified 350D.

Veil Nebula (Cygnus)

A wide field image of the Veil nebula including the west arch (NGC 6992, 6995), the central filaments (NGC 6974, 6979) and the beautiful east arch (NGC 6960). This picture was a night long effort, blessed by a surprisingly clear night for the season: indeed, the Milky Way was easily visible. This may not sound as much, but at my site this is a rare occurrence in July. Megrez super Apo, TV 0.8 field flattener. 56x4' iso 800, modified 350D.

NGC 6992 (Cygnus)

The western edge of the Veil nebula. One of the first images obtained after fixing the flexure problems of the ASA astrograph. Canon 350D, 46x8'.

IC 1318 - NGC 6914 (Cygnus)

This wide field mosaic of two frames cover the area immediately north of Gamma Cygni (north is up). The entire field is dominated by the reddish emission of Hydrogen. Locally, patches of a brighter magenta indicates areas where ionization of Oxygen is prominent. South-west of center there are several patches of reflection nebulae surrounded by NGC 6914 and interlaced with a very obscure dark nebula: these are VdB 131 and 132. North-East of center there is a wonderful nebula aptly named "Propeller Nebula".

Due to the wonderful sky above Amiata 22x8' sub exposures were enough for each element of the mosaic. Canon 350D with the Megrez Super Apo 80 f 4.8

 

NGC 6914 and VdB 131, 132 (Cygnus)

Close up of the reflection nebulae with the ASA astrograph. 54x8' iso 800, modified 350D. July 2008.

VdB 134 (Cygnus)

This might be the faintest and most elusive reflection nebula that I have ever imaged. It is nested in a lovely HII region making for a nice color contrast. Look closely for a lovely planetary nebula. ASA 10", STL 11000, 17 hrs of integration

Region of g Cygni

Wide field image of the area surrounding g Cygni (white-yellow giant, spectral F8). Megrez super Apo, TV 0.8 field flattener. 54x4' iso 800, modified 350D.

NGC 6888  - Crescent Nebula (Cygnus)

Yet another amazing object: either a supernova remnant or the outer envelope of a hot Wolf Rayet star (18'x13'). A much photographed nebula lost in a cloud of less frequently seen Hidrogen filaments. ASA 10", STL11000. 8 hours in total in four nights.

See here for an old picture shot with the venerable C8.

NGC 6888  - Crescent Nebula (Cygnus)

Here I have used the Megrez 80 to image the area surrounding the Crescent. The entire field is glowing of the faint HII filaments that constitute the south extremity of IC1318, the emission nebula Around g Cigni, These structures are very faint and they have been enhanced by a deep exposure in the Ha light. See here for the narrow band image only. The image has been composed with three data set. The color signal comes from a conventional RGB acquisition (43x4'). The narrowband data (Ha 6 nm, 50x8') has been composed in Photoshop CS with the red layer. Finally, I have used the RGB data of the picture above to improve resolution and contrast of the Crescent nebula itself (C8 f6.3, 40x8'). In total the image required almost 15 hours of exposure in 6 nights. Published on the April 2008 issue of Nuovo Orione.

From Deneb to Sadr (Cygnus)

Wide field image of one of the richest patches of the Milky Way as seen in Ha light. Notice the subtle and complex interplay of stars, dark nebulae and emission nebulae. I especially like the thin filaments north of Sadr and east of Deneb. This is the first experiment I did by placing a 2" narrowband filter in front of the Canon 135 mm telephoto lens. The limited diameter of the filter decreased the aperture of the lens to f 3.06. This is still quite fast and star images are perfectly formed through the entire field. Mosaic of three adjacent fields for a total of 52x16' sub-exposures. Published on Coelum.

NGC 7000 - IC 5067 "North America and Pelican nebulae" (Cygnus)

The core of the North America and Pelican nebulae seen with the apo refractor. See here for a wider field mosaic of these region seen in Ha. Megrez super Apo, TV 0.8 field flattener. 54x4' iso 800, modified 350D.

"North America" in red light.

A lovely relic from a past that is no more: old photograph on the long lost 2415 film. A Lumicon deep red filter was used together with a 300 mm f 4.0 lens. 40 min exposure.

IC 5076 - (Cygnus)

A small reflection nebula north of the North America: near the Polar Circus, I guess... The size of the nebula, measure on the image turned out to be 10X6.5'. 300D 20X8' iso 400. Asinh stretching with Iris, final curves and levels in Photoshop CS.

VDB 133 and SH2-106 (Cygnus)

Half full resolution.

This is a relatively little known area east of the far more popular Crescent nebula. It shows off a wonderful contrast between the faint reflection nebula VdB 133 and the gentle red glow of the background. The small and bright bipolar nebula near the NW corner is SH2-106.: this is a very interesting star-formation area, and much literature on this fascinating object can be found. The image has been a five nights effort for a total of 12.5 hours. ASA 10", f3.6 STL 11000. Hα: 24x16'; Luminance 19x8' RGB 9x8' each.

IC 5076 - "Cocoon nebula" (Cygnus)

The Cocoon is a wonderful but dim nebula with an interesting colour pattern. The central part of the nebula glows in the red light of Hα, while the periphery is is dominated by the bluish light of the reflection nebula. C8, Canon 350D, 40x8', iso 800. An older shot made with the unmodded 300 is available here.

IC 5146 - "Cocoon nebula" (Cygnus)

A wide field image shot with the Apo triplet. B 168 is the dark nebula in which IC 5076 is sitting.

NGC 7023 - "Iris nebula" (Cepheus)

A spectacular reflection nebula hidden in a larger complex of dark gases and dust. The bright star at the centre illuminates and pushes the dust around. The bluish colour is sometimes blended with more reddish areas: here the light is produced by a complex process of phosphorescence of the dust caused  by UV radiation. C8 f6.3, modified Canon 350D, 76x8', iso 800. A second set of data (16x1') was blended in to image the brightest core of the nebula. An older version made with the unmodified 300D is availabe (50x8', iso 400).

NGC 7023 - "Iris nebula" (Cepheus)

Wide field image of the area surrounding the Iris Nebula. My goal was to collect the light from the colorfull but very dim patches of dust that decorates the area. With my great surprise as the data were being collected and the image got deeper and deeper, the dust proved to be everywhere. During processing I stretched vigorously to reach down to the dust, protecting the much brighter areas of the central nebula and of the surrounding stars. Indeed the star colours are very striking: notice how the stars along the dust lanes are strongly reddened. Two tiny and much reddened galaxies are visible for the scrutinizing eye: above-right lies the side on ugc 11648; nearby the lower right corner lies the face on ugc 11678. The wide field area has been imaged for 5 nights and a total of over 14 hours (108x8' sub exposures). This data set has been supplemented with a second image acquired with the C8 for the Iris itself (76x8') for a total of over 24 hours of integration. North is left.

April 2010 - August 2010 (processing)

VdB 143 (Cepheus)

This is a very rarely imaged faint reflection nebula embedded in the Cepheus molecular cloud. After massive stretching a complex dust structure emerged in the background. ASA 10", STL 11000, 18 hrs of integration

VdB 149, VdB 150, LBN 535  (Cepheus)

A large complex of dust and reflection nebulae at the edge of the cloud that contains also the Iris nebula. ASA 10" STL 11000. LRGB, Over 20 hrs in five nights.

VdB 152  (Cepheus)

One of the most striking reflection nebulae of all a few degrees south of VdB 149 and 150. ASA 10" STL 11000. LRGB, 19 hrs in four nights.

NGC 7129  (Cepheus)

A very intricate area, including dark clouds, reflection and emission nebulae, an open cluster and even several tiny galaxies! ASA 10" STL 11000. HαLRGB, over 12 hrs in four nights. See link for details and a closer view of the Herbig-Haro objects in the central reflection nebula.

IC 1396 and VdB 142 (Cepheus)

A tiny gem in a large nebula. ASA 10", STL 11000, 14 hrs of integration

Barnard 169 - 174 and Sh2 134  (Cepheus)

A magnificent but rarely imaged area nearby the far more famous emission nebula IC 1396. ASA 10" STL 11000. HαLRGB, 12 hrs in four nights.

IC 1396 (Cepheus)

A wonderfully complex region in Cepheus. The bright star at the north limb of the nebula is µ Cephei, at spectra M2 one of the reddest star visible at naked eye. Near the centre of the nebula is the open cluster Tr 37. The field is about 6° by 4° 25'. 40 min exposure, 300 mm f4. Kodak 2415 plus deep red filter.

IC 1396 (Cepheus)

15 years later I finally got a colour close up. Difficult processing because of the amount of stretching required and the unavoidable sky gradient complicated by the fact that most of the frame is covered by  the nebulosity. See link for details. Megrez 80 super apo, Modified Canon 350D,  15x4' plus 43x8' (6 hr 44'), iso 800. September 2006. See here for an annotated wide field image of the area.

The Cave Nebula Sh2-155 and VdB 155

Emission and reflection nebulae at the busy border betwen Cepheus and Cassiopeia. One of the first images from our Remote Observatory.

M52 and the Bubble Nebula (Cassiopeia)

One of the great wonder of the sky. The bubble is the obvious round feature at the centre of the nebula and it is a prototypic example of gas bubble inflated by the push of stellar wind. The processing tried to show the extended nebulosity around the object causing some loss of contrast in the bubble itself. ASA 10", HαRGB composition.

A old shot taken through my venerable C8 is visible here.

NGC 7635 Bubble Nebula (Cassiopeia)

Wide field image of the area surrounding the bubble nebula. The open cluster M52 is just above-left of the nebula. A second small but very bright patch of nebulosity is on its right. The large nebulosity on the bottom edge is sh2-157. Modified 350D, 37x8', iso 800, Megrez 80. See here for a vision of this area in Ha.