Horsehead NGC 6888
The Crescent Nebula
Horsehead

(Click on image for Full Resolution)


Date: October 15, 2001
Exposure: RGB 130:130:144 : 13 x 600s each R, G, and 12 x 720s B
Processing: MaxIm for Image calibration,(16 flats each RGB, dark subtracted and median combined, 20 bias frames median combined, 10-600s darks median combined, and 10-720s darks median combined) dead/hot pixel removal, alignment, normalization, color combining, mild DDP, unsharp and stretch. Photoshop for final color balance and jpg conversion.
Conditions: Average, Mag 3-4 Skies
Scope: Vixen 102mm Flourite, f/6.5 (2.288 arcsec/pix measured with TheSky), CR150HD @ f/8 for Guiding. All equipment on a CI700/SkyWalker/2 upgraded EQ Mount.
Camera: SBIG ST-237A, CFW5C IR Blocking RGB filters, -20°, Vixen 6.3 Focal Reducer, SBIG ST-4 for Guiding
Comments: North is down. Very dim galaxy. I have taken 3 hours of RGB images over multiple nights to get to this rendition. ST-8E arrives on Monday 10/21/01. I will try to get some better images with it.