Search
Latest news
December: Test shots with new scopes/mounts
Dec 21: TMB 80/480 Arrives!
Dec 3: AP1200 Arrives!
Nov 30: TMB 152/1200 Arrives!
Links:
vdB 142 (The Elephant Trunk)
| |
| Mouse-over to see annotations. (Requires Javascript) Click to see high-res version. |
Image Details:
- Camera: Mofidied Canon Rebel XT (350D): Hutech Type I Filter Replacement
- Mount: Celestron AS-GT
- Scope: Celestron C8-N (8" f/5 Newtonian)
- Configuration: Prime Focus
- Additional Optics: Celestron/Baader Multi Purpose Coma Corrector (MPCC)
- Filter: None
- Effective Focal Length: 1000mm
- Effective Focal Ratio: f/5
- Exposure: 30 x 8min @ ISO 400
- Total Exposure: 4hrs, 0min
-
- Date: 10/26/2006 8:21:09 pm PDT (start)
- Location: Saratoga, CA, USA
- Acquisition: DSLRfocus
- Focus: DSLRFocus
- Dithering: GADFly 1.0.5
- Guiding: GuideDog via Philips ToUcam Pro II (840k) through Orion ST80 w/ Celestron 2x "Kit" Barlow
Processing:
- IRIS: Dark subtraction, registration, gradient removal
- JimP: Flat field, Kappa-Sigma Stacking, White balance, ASINH stretching
- Photoshop: Levels, cropping, JPG conversion
Image Description:
This is a closeup of the Western portion of IC 1396, a Dark Nebula known as the Elephant Trunk in the constellation of Cepheus. The Dark Nebula (LDN 1105) suggests the elephant-trunk shape, while vdB 142 actually refers to the tiny patch of Reflection Nebula around the 9th mag star HD 239710 near the elephant's snout (see the mouse-over labels). This image is "First Light post-nasal surgery" <grin>, and I'm pretty happy with it considering the poor seeing and transparency. It could definitely use some Hα exposures to improve the contrast. A higher resolution image is also available. North is up.