Gamma Cygni Nebula (IC1318) , in Hα-RGB

Mike Lewis

Staff Member
I already posted the Hα data of this region previously:

https://www.focalworld.com/threads/maybe-the-start-of-something-good.16843/

Here is the final version of that image. More data in the pipeline for a couple of other targets but processing of those will have to wait until back from an upcoming trip.

This region of the sky, in the approximate middle of the constellation Cygnus, is brimming with clouds of ionized hydrogen. In this image I have located the bright star Sadr just out of the field of view to the lower right, and highlighted a butterfly shaped section of the nebula. But truthfully, it is hard to point to this section of the sky without getting some interesting and captivating shapes in your field of view.

This was imaged in RGB and Hα, with the Hα mixed in to the red channel to add some sharpness and detail. In retrospect, I might have also captured OIII and made a 'proper' bi-color narrowband image out of this as well.

LRCC_sRGB_VC2_FW_IC1318_FullMix1_PSCC_HPF_LHE_MT_DSE_SatStars_CT.jpg



Comments and critiques most welcome!

Equipment:
ZWO ASI1600MM-C Camera @ -15C and
Gain:200 Offset:50
Software Bisque MyT Mount
Stellarvue SVQ100 Astrograph Refractor, 580mm @ f/5.8
Innovations Foresight ONAG

Software:
Pixinsight Commercial Version 1.8
Lightroom CC
Photoshop CC
Innovations Foresight SkyGuard
Light Frames:

Hα: 39 x 600 secs (6 hrs 30 mins)
Red:17 x 180 secs (51 mins)
Green:15 x 180 secs (45 mins)
Blue: 15 x 180 secs (45 mins)

8 hrs 51 mins total

Dark Frames:
10 x 180 secs, RGB (30 mins)
10 x 600 secs, Hα(1 hr 40 mins)

Bias Frames
60

Flat Frames
20 each filter


Here is some more detail from Wikipedia:

The Sadr Region (also known as IC 1318 or the Gamma Cygni Nebula) is the diffuse emission nebula surrounding Sadr (γ Cygni) at the center of Cygnus's cross. The Sadr Region is one of the surrounding nebulous regions; others include the Butterfly Nebula and the Crescent Nebula. It contains many dark nebulae in addition to the emission diffuse nebulae.
Sadr itself has approximately a magnitude of 2.2. The nebulous regions around the region are also fairly bright.
 

Ben Egbert

Forum Helper
Staff member
Nice one Mike. As you know, I am not an astro guy, but I am an astro image viewer. I prefer multi color to single color, and I think I like the stars removed a bit more than when present.

Just an opinion, but I am seeing so many great astro images from you and others that I thought I should do more than just say wow.
 

Mike Lewis

Staff Member
Nice one Mike. As you know, I am not an astro guy, but I am an astro image viewer. I prefer multi color to single color, and I think I like the stars removed a bit more than when present.

Just an opinion, but I am seeing so many great astro images from you and others that I thought I should do more than just say wow.

Ben,

I actually agree on both comments. I added this as a final target for the last 2 nights of my most recent remote astroimaging session, without much thought. basically slewed over there took an image and said oh, that's cool! Normally I would have done some more study and also taken some test images in other than just Hα too - as it turns out, unbeknownst to me, this object also does have some OIII in it as well. That would have allowed me to do a bi-color NB image, and then use my usual trick to take only short RGB exposures to blend in the stars, which then keeps them from being as overly prominent as you see here. Instead, I had RGB data that I tried to blend the Hα data in to - it was more difficult that I was expecting and left me with what does seem like a bit of a weird monocolor effect in red.

This was an experiment that I won't repeat for these type of targets. Hα added to RGB is a great technique to bring out the active star forming regions of galaxies, as in this previously posted image:

LRCC_sRGB_FW_small_M81_M82_HaLRGB_BN_CC1_SCNR_MT_ABE.jpg


But in the case of this nebula, I should have either gone with more RGB data and done it as strictly a natural color image, or more NB data and done it as a multi filter narrowband image. Thanks for the honext feedback - it is VERY much appreciated!
 

Gramps Potter

Well-Known Member
I already posted the Hα data of this region previously:

https://www.focalworld.com/threads/maybe-the-start-of-something-good.16843/

Here is the final version of that image. More data in the pipeline for a couple of other targets but processing of those will have to wait until back from an upcoming trip.

This region of the sky, in the approximate middle of the constellation Cygnus, is brimming with clouds of ionized hydrogen. In this image I have located the bright star Sadr just out of the field of view to the lower right, and highlighted a butterfly shaped section of the nebula. But truthfully, it is hard to point to this section of the sky without getting some interesting and captivating shapes in your field of view.

This was imaged in RGB and Hα, with the Hα mixed in to the red channel to add some sharpness and detail. In retrospect, I might have also captured OIII and made a 'proper' bi-color narrowband image out of this as well.

View attachment 40032


Comments and critiques most welcome!

Equipment:
ZWO ASI1600MM-C Camera @ -15C and
Gain:200 Offset:50
Software Bisque MyT Mount
Stellarvue SVQ100 Astrograph Refractor, 580mm @ f/5.8
Innovations Foresight ONAG

Software:
Pixinsight Commercial Version 1.8
Lightroom CC
Photoshop CC
Innovations Foresight SkyGuard
Light Frames:

Hα: 39 x 600 secs (6 hrs 30 mins)
Red:17 x 180 secs (51 mins)
Green:15 x 180 secs (45 mins)
Blue: 15 x 180 secs (45 mins)

8 hrs 51 mins total

Dark Frames:
10 x 180 secs, RGB (30 mins)
10 x 600 secs, Hα(1 hr 40 mins)

Bias Frames
60

Flat Frames
20 each filter


Here is some more detail from Wikipedia:

The Sadr Region (also known as IC 1318 or the Gamma Cygni Nebula) is the diffuse emission nebula surrounding Sadr (γ Cygni) at the center of Cygnus's cross. The Sadr Region is one of the surrounding nebulous regions; others include the Butterfly Nebula and the Crescent Nebula. It contains many dark nebulae in addition to the emission diffuse nebulae.
Sadr itself has approximately a magnitude of 2.2. The nebulous regions around the region are also fairly bright.
Love it ! Great job .
 

Tom Narwid

Well-Known Member
I already posted the Hα data of this region previously:

https://www.focalworld.com/threads/maybe-the-start-of-something-good.16843/

Here is the final version of that image. More data in the pipeline for a couple of other targets but processing of those will have to wait until back from an upcoming trip.

This region of the sky, in the approximate middle of the constellation Cygnus, is brimming with clouds of ionized hydrogen. In this image I have located the bright star Sadr just out of the field of view to the lower right, and highlighted a butterfly shaped section of the nebula. But truthfully, it is hard to point to this section of the sky without getting some interesting and captivating shapes in your field of view.

This was imaged in RGB and Hα, with the Hα mixed in to the red channel to add some sharpness and detail. In retrospect, I might have also captured OIII and made a 'proper' bi-color narrowband image out of this as well.

View attachment 40032


Comments and critiques most welcome!

Equipment:
ZWO ASI1600MM-C Camera @ -15C and
Gain:200 Offset:50
Software Bisque MyT Mount
Stellarvue SVQ100 Astrograph Refractor, 580mm @ f/5.8
Innovations Foresight ONAG

Software:
Pixinsight Commercial Version 1.8
Lightroom CC
Photoshop CC
Innovations Foresight SkyGuard
Light Frames:

Hα: 39 x 600 secs (6 hrs 30 mins)
Red:17 x 180 secs (51 mins)
Green:15 x 180 secs (45 mins)
Blue: 15 x 180 secs (45 mins)

8 hrs 51 mins total

Dark Frames:
10 x 180 secs, RGB (30 mins)
10 x 600 secs, Hα(1 hr 40 mins)

Bias Frames
60

Flat Frames
20 each filter


Here is some more detail from Wikipedia:

The Sadr Region (also known as IC 1318 or the Gamma Cygni Nebula) is the diffuse emission nebula surrounding Sadr (γ Cygni) at the center of Cygnus's cross. The Sadr Region is one of the surrounding nebulous regions; others include the Butterfly Nebula and the Crescent Nebula. It contains many dark nebulae in addition to the emission diffuse nebulae.
Sadr itself has approximately a magnitude of 2.2. The nebulous regions around the region are also fairly bright.
Great work Mike
 

Mike Lewis

Staff Member
So here is a rework of the above. I went back and used my stack of shorter star exposures, which limited the stars, and then mixed things a bit differently. I am interested to hear the feedback from the group on this. I definitely like the star reduction i got form this new approach - what do you think of the nebulosity? There are differences there I see in the color and the faint detail, as well as the micro-contrast being a bit different...

LRCC_sRGB_FW_IC1318_30Sec_HaRGB_PSCC.jpg


ML
 
Top Bottom