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Pelican Nebula Ion Front |
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Click here to enlarge photograph.
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DESCRIPTION The Pelican Nebula is slowly being transformed. IC 5070, the official designation, is divided from the larger North America Nebula by a molecular cloud filled with dark dust. The Pelican, however, receives much study because it is a particularly active mix of star formation and evolving gas clouds. The light from young energetic stars is slowly transforming the cold gas to hot gas, with the advancing boundary between the two known as an ionization front. Particularly dense filaments of cold gas are seen to still remain. Millions of years from now this nebula might no longer be known as the Pelican, as the balance and placement of stars and gas will leave something that appears completely different. (Source: APOD) Constellation: Cygnus - Distance: 1,600 Light Years RA: 20h 51m 13s - DEC: +44d 27m 59s - Magnitude: n/a - Apparent Size: 56' x 38' |
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| Date Taken: 08.04.2004 Telescope: Intes MK69 6" f/6 MakCass Focuser: Finger Lakes DF-2 Camera: SBIG ST10XME / CFW-8A Mount: Astro Physics AP900GTO Guider: Borg 76ED F6.6 and ST7XME Filter Set: Custom Scientific Ha (4.5nm AR), SII (4.5nm AR), OIII (4.5nm AR). |
Ha: 24 x 600 sec 1x1 SII: 24 x 600 sec 1x1 OIII: 24 x 600 sec 1x1 Total Exposure Time: 720 minutes (12.0 Hours) Data aquired unattended with CCDAutoPilot using 2.5 pixel dithering and automatic focus routines between exposures. Calibration, registration and image combine in Mira Pro 7. Each channel deconvolved using 2 passes of CCD Sharp and then DDP stretched in StellaImage 3. Channels color combined Photoshop CS. Ha (Green), SII (Red), OIII (Blue). Historgram adjustments and iterative sharpending using Photoshop CS. |
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