IC 410 - Tadpoles (2023)

IC 410, nicknamed the Tadpole Nebula, is located 12,000 light-years away in the constellation of Auriga. Two particularly thick dense streams of gas and dust that resemble tadpoles are the highlight of this region and over 10 light-years across. In addition they are a likely source of star formation. The entire region is over 100 light-years across and strong stellar winds have carved and sculpted it into its present shape. These stellar winds originate from open cluster NGC 1893 which is also supplying the energy that is ionizing the nebula gases.

The tadpoles really do look like they are swimming towards the cluster at the edge of the dark region and I find them incredible to look at. This is my second attempt at this object, my first was a not so impressive image from over three years ago - https://www.astrobin.com/qa21lp/?nc=collection&nce=701. This version is far superior in many ways and I am glad I revisited it. Other parts such as the fine detail around the dark central area and the golden-red edges are equally as fascinating to me as the tadpoles themselves.

I did crop this a bit but not as much as I could have because there was more faint nebulosity in the background than I expected and I wanted to keep it. On the other hand I did crop it some because I wanted to highlight the finer detail on the tadpoles and central area.

So why was this image so improved from my previous attempt? By far it was new filters! I upgraded my good & dependable 7nm narrowband OIII & Ha filters for 3nm Antlia Pro filters. I originally planned just to upgrade the OIII filter but liked the results so much I ordered the Ha the next day (I will upgrade the SII as soon as funds become available). The narrower band pass allows for a much better or more specific signal so images are much more detailed. In addition, the well known halos around bright stars using OIII filters were completely eliminated with this filter. One of the benefits of having an 8-position filter wheel is the ability to use the empty filter try for same night experimenting which is exactly what I did. I made a couple of videos comparing the 7nm vs. the 3nm filters:

OIII - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJZ-KWoS-KY&t=12s

Ha - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0r3NkIawEs&t=7s

Website - http://astroquest1.blogspot.com/2023/02/3nm-antlia-narrowband-filters.html

Dates: 12-29-22, 1-9-23, 16, 18, 24, 2-6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 18

  

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IC 410 - Tadpoles (2023)
Dates: 12-29-22, 1-9-23, 16, 18, 24, 2-6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 18
Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM-Pro
Telescope: Astro-Tech AT115EDT 115mm Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 805mm (644mm w/ FR)
f/7
Focal Reducer: 0.8x AstroTech Field Flatterner/Focal Reducer
Mount: Orion Sirius
Filter Wheel: ZWO 

EFW 8 x 1.25"
Filter: Antlia Ha, OIII; ZWO R, G, B, SII
Focuser: ZWO EAF
Autoguiding: ASI120 Mini attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope/ZWO 60mm Guidescope
Exposure: Ha 101 x 300, OIII 94 x 300, SII 77 x 300, R 30 x 60, G 29 x 60, B 37 x 60

Gain: 139
Offset 20
Sensor Temp: -20 C
Processing: NINA, PixInsight, Photoshop, BlurXTerminator, StarXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, Bill Blanshan Masks.

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Sh2-240 - The Camera Killer? (in my case)

Sh2-240 also goes by Simeis 147 or The Spaghetti Nebula but not The Camera Killer - I'll get to that a bit later. It is a very faint supernova remnant (SNR) approximately 3,000 light-years away on the boundary of the constellations of Auriga and Taurus. In addition to being faint, it is very large at 150 light-years across taking up 3 degrees of arc which corresponds to six full moons. This supernova event that made this nebula is believed to have occurred 40,000 years ago.

The fine twisty ropey filaments that make up this gorgeous looking object make this a popular target for amateurs and professionals alike. The deep reds from ionized hydrogen and blue-greens from ionized oxygen are really just incredible. All that remains from this catastrophic explosion is a fast-spinning neutron star (a.k.a. pulsar). These are some of the most dense things in the universe (a spoonful would weigh a billion tones).

I have wanted to image this for many years now but always held off for one reason or another - mainly equipment and processing skill. With my widefield setup consisting of the 200mm Canon Lens, ZWO ASI2600MC Pro, IDAS NBZ filter, and Orion Atlas Pro I was ready - I was planning to get 25 or 30 hours. I started in early January 2023 with a couple partial nights and that was it. Crappy weather for the rest of January except when the moon was in the direction of the nebula or directly behind it. By the time the moon went away, the clouds came back. This nonsense went on halfway through February when we finally had some clear nights. I managed to get another decent night for a total of 14 hours to date. No problem as more clear weather was on its way and I finally should be able to get my desired 30 hours of exposure, right?

 

Now for the name...If you follow me on FB or YouTube you already know what happened:

The Bad News: So my beloved ZWO ASI2600MC Pro developed the dreaded silicon grease leak.
The Good News: Both ZWO and Agena Astroproducts were very helpful, supportive, and are taking care of the problem.

I made a video which shows what the leak looked on my sensor:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mdq6lIm8tQ&t=13s

I made the best out of the 12 hours of data I had and believe it came out fine - just wish I was able to get close to what I planned on.

Sh2-240 - The Camera Killer? (in my case)
Dates: 1-16-23, 1-18, 1-24, 2-6, 2-8, 2-11, 2-18 
Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC-Pro
Telescope: Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM Lens
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 200mm
f/4 with stepdown rings
Focal Reducer: None
Mount: Orion Atlas Pro
Filter Wheel/Drawer: ZWO EOS Filter Drawer
Filter: IDAS Nebula Booster NBZ Filter
Focuser: None
Autoguiding: ASI120 Mini attached to a ZWO Mini 30/120mm Guidescope
Exposure: 162 x 300
Gain: 100
Sensor Temp: -20 C
Processing: ASIAIR Pro, PixInsight, Photoshop, StarXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, GHS,
GradientXTerminator, BTX, Bill's Star Reduction, Bill's Color Mask Tools.

Power: BINZET AC to DC 12V 10A 120W Power Supply

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Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) visiting Mars

So I am not going to call this comet rare anymore seeing how there are more images of this than ever (kidding - this one is quite rare), nor am I going to call this the green comet since most of them are due to the composition. As they move close to the sun the icy outer surface boils away some organic matter which then forms a rare C2 molecule which produces the eerie green glow.

Once again I was only able to capture a small amount of time on this (23 minutes). However, I made the most of what I captured with the ZWO ASI2600MC connected to the Canon 200mm lens set at Focal Ratio of 4 (F/4). I really wanted to get more time so I could get the ion tail to stand out more. In my image it is the thin dim secondary tail pointing down from the main portion.

There is a lot of other stuff in this image if you look. Some of my favorites are the dark regions just above and to the left of Mars. The largest is named the Taurus Dark Cloud Nebula (B 22) but several others adjacent to it. Inside the cloud there is small dense reflection nebula named the Little Flame Nebula (2087). 

 

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) visiting Mars
Dates: 2-10-23
Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC-Pro
Telescope: Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM Lens
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 200mm
f/4 with stepdown rings
Focal Reducer: None
Mount: Orion Atlas Pro
Filter Wheel/Drawer: ZWO EOS Filter Drawer
Filter: None
Focuser: None
Autoguiding: ASI120 Mini attached to a ZWO Mini 30/120mm Guidescope
Exposure: 23 x 60
Gain: 100
Sensor Temp: -20 C
Processing: ASIAIR Pro, PixInsight, Photoshop, StarXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, GradientXTerminator, BTX.
Power: BINZET AC to DC 12V 10A 120W Power Supply

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3nm Antlia Narrowband Filters

I recently upgraded my ZWO 7nm Ha and OIII filters with the 3nm Antlia Pro filters and could not be happier. I purchased the ZWO filters as part of a kit when I purchased the ZWO ASI1600MM 5 years ago. I have been very satisfied with the ZWO filters as the did their job for a relatively inexpensive price. However, as my processing improved my images seemed to reach a maximum detail/sharpness yet I suspect they could have been better. Since then Antlia introduced a 3nm Pro version of their narrowband and at a price that I could afford. Astrodon and Chroma existed but they were a little out of my price range. So how good are these filters? I made two YouTube videos which show the experiments and results:

Just How Good is the Antlia 3nm OIII Filter?  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJZ-KWoS-KY&t=11s

3nm Antlia Narrowband Filters - Part 2) Hydrogen 3nm vs. 7nm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0r3NkIawEs&t=5s 

Oxygen Comparison

I compared my new Antlia 3nm OIII Pro Imaging filter with my current ZWO 7nm OIII filter. Since I have an open position on my ZWO EFW, it was very convenient to make a good quality comparison. I hoped and expected the Antlia to perform better since it was 3nm vs. 7nm and I was not disappointed!

The experiment took place on 12-29-22 around 9 pm. I collected nine 5-minute subs of IC 410 using the ZWO OIII filter but only kept seven. I then switched to the Antlia OIII filter where I again collected nine 5-minute subs but kept eight. The temperature of the ZWO ASI1600 was set at -20 degrees C. 

Some the highlights:

- smaller stars including no halos around large stars

- increased sharpness and detail

- better nebula definition 

Hydrogen Comparison

I compared my new Antlia 3nm Ha Pro Imaging filter with my current ZWO 7nm Ha filter. Since I have an open position on my ZWO EFW, it was very convenient to make a good quality comparison. I hoped and expected the Antlia to perform better since it was 3nm vs. 7nm and I was not disappointed! 

The experiment took place on 1-16-22 around 9 pm. I collected three 5-minute subs of IC 410 using the ZWO Ha filter. I then switched to the Antlia Ha filter where I again collected three 5-minute subs. The temperature of the ZWO ASI1600 was set at -20 degrees C. No post processing was done on any of the images.

Some the highlights:

- smaller stars

- slightly increased sharpness and detail

- better nebula definition 

I plan on purchasing the 3nm Antlia SII filter in the near future. 

Lastly, no processing was done except stacking.

ZWO 7nm OIII Filter

Antlia 3nm OIII Filter

ZWO 7nm Ha Filter

Antlia 3nm Ha Filter

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Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) - 20 min Between Clouds!

This is my only version of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) which was taken in the evening of January 31, 2023 between waves of clouds. The comet was located in the constellation of Camelopardalis only 14 degrees from Polaris. I was not planning on imaging this but it was in a great location to catch from the Happy Frog Observatory (my astroshed) especially since my neighbors caught down several trees.

I was not expecting much since the moon was out and I did not have a lot of time on it but I did manage to catch a very faint, thin white ion tail which points away from the sun. The bright core is easily distinguished as is the tan-brown dust tail. The green coma located in front of the core is produced when ionizing UV light excites the odd assortment of molecules comets contain. In particular, certain organic substances undergo transformation when exposed to the sunlight and form diatomic carbon (C2), a metastable allotrope of carbon which gives off the green glow when excited.

So why such a short integration ~20 min? The weather! I captured five 1 minute subs of LRGB for a total of 20 minutes, then reoriented the comet and repeated the plan but the sky began to fill with high clouds only a three more exposures made the cut.

Lastly, I used some new PixInsight techniques and some of my old tricks to process this comet which was especially helpful with such a small integration time. I have also been asked what share my process so I have attached my attempt at the bottom of the document:

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) - 20 min Between Clouds!
Dates: 1-31-23
Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM-Pro
Telescope: Astro-Tech AT115EDT 115mm Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 805mm (644mm w/ FR)
f/7
Focal Reducer: 0.8x AstroTech Field Flatterner/Focal Reducer
Mount: Orion Sirius
Filter Wheel: ZWO EFW 8 x 1.25"
Filter: ZWO L, R, G, B
Focuser: ZWO EAF
Autoguiding: ASI120 Mini attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope/ZWO 60mm Guidescope
Exposure: L 6 x 60, R 6 x 60, G 6 x 60, B 5 x 60
Gain: 139
Offset 20
Sensor Temp: -20 C
Processing: NINA, PixInsight, Photoshop, StarXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator.

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PROCESS

1) PixInsight WBPP
New) followed awesome video by Alaskan Astro video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCMyGNZlx5o&t=883s)
2) made starless versions of registered subs using StarXTerminator (batch)
3) stacked the registered starless subs using Comet Alignment
4) DBE on the LRGB images
5) EZ Soft Stretch on LRGB images
6) NoiseXTerminator
7) Convert to tiff (16), bring into Photoshop for defects that flats did not remove (I need new flats)
8) back into PI and combine the separate channels to make an LRGB version
9) play with this using PI and PS to your liking (more noise reduction as well)
10) Combine the RGB channels from the original stacked LRGB versions from WBPP
11) EZ Soft Stretch on RGB image
12) NoiseXTerminator
13) StarXTerminator
14) Combine the Final Starless with the RGB Stars
15) Final adjustments in PI and PS

Sh2-223, Sh2-224, Sh2-225, Sh2-227 & Friends (HOO)

The object that drew me to image this region was Sh2-224, the red wedge-shaped nebula with blue edges on the top and bottom. The nebula is located some 12,000 light-years away in the constellation Auriga and is very large at 150 light-years. The presence of hydrogen (HII) and oxygen (OIII) are characteristic of a supernova event although no progenitor star has been located. If this is a Supernova Remnant (SNR), the explosion took place approximately 60,000 years ago.

Sh2-223 sits very close to Sh2-224 and was also thought to be a SNR, however, more recent studies indicate that it is a HII emission nebula energized by a nearby star - this nebula is a bit closer to us at 7,000 light-years. Sh2-225 is also a HII emission nebula and is located about 12,000 light-years away. Another claim to fame for this nebula is that it contains a protostar designated as IRAS 05235+4033. Small but distinct, Sh2-227, is another HII nebula 80 light-years across and at a distance of 14,000 light-years.

All of these nebulae are very faint and sit in a dense but colorful starfield. An open cluster, NGC 1857, is just to the left of Sh2-227 and consists of ~40 stars. I did this project with my widefield setup which is built around a 200mm camera lens and the ZWO ASI2600MC but it would definitely be worthwhile to go back with more focal length. A fast system such as a RASA would be optimal for any of these targets since they are so dim. Using the IDAS NBZ filter which singles out HII and OIII, HII was the major component and only Sh2-224 had a clearly distinct OIII component, however, there were hints that there may be a small amount of OIII in some of the other nebulae - Sh2-227 in particular.

I planned to obtain more data but the weather gods and moon put the kibosh on that. Processing this image was very difficult because these objects were so faint. I had to do a lot of tedious processing gymnastics to isolate the nebula and even before normal processing my stacked subs had a weird gradient that DBE and GradientX could not totally fix so I had to play with that first. I separated the RGB channels to make a synthetic HOO image by using red for Ha and a combination of 70% green + 30% blue for the OIII. Lastly, there was some update by the ASIAIR where my normal gain of 100 was reset to gain 50 unbeknownst to me so I had to make a new set support frames.

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Sh2-223, Sh2-224, Sh2-225, Sh2-227 & Friends (HOO)

Dates: 11-28, 30, 12-13, 19, 20, 29 
Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC-Pro
Telescope: Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM Lens
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 200mm
f/4 with stepdown rings
Focal Reducer: None
Mount: Orion Atlas Pro
Filter Wheel/Drawer: ZWO EOS Filter Drawer
Filter: IDAS Nebula Booster NBZ Filter
Focuser: None
Autoguiding: ASI120 Mini attached to a ZWO Mini 30/120mm Guidescope
Exposure: 276 x 300
Gain: 50
Sensor Temp: -10 C
Processing: ASIAIR Pro, PixInsight, Photoshop, StarXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, GHS, GradientXTerminator, BTX.
Power: BINZET AC to DC 12V 10A 120W Power Supply

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LBN 777 - The Baby Eagle Nebula

LBN 777 is a dark and dusty reflection nebula and part of the Taurus Molecular Cloud located about 400 light years away. Molecular clouds are made of diffuse cosmic dust and molecular gas. It is also known as Baby Eagle or Vulture Head Nebula. It is close to the very bright and popular Pleiades Star Cluster (~ 4 degrees) which may be why LBN 777 is much less imaged. Nearby stars are responsible for illuminating this very impressive dense cloud. Gravitational attractions cause some of the parts to form into small dense parts known as bok globules. The friction leads to an increase in temperature and protostars are able to form. In this Nebula the more dense inner part is quite dark and cataloged as Barnard 207 - this is the region where it is presumed that new stars are born.

In addition to all of the nebulosity, I really like the colorful star field and also the 'small' galaxies scattered throughout. They show surprisingly good structure which was a pleasant surprise. For processing I used BTX, GHS, and NoiseX which are new additions to my routine. I still do most of the other stuff as well except for Topaz Denoise which I have cut back on - NoiseX seems to be doing a much better job. Capturing was pretty much a breeze since I was using the shed for this object so I just turned it on for the few hours that it was visible when the moon was not out and then just turned it off (it may have looked hard since it took 11 sessions over a 1.5 months). I could have gone to another but I already have too much stuff on the plate plus I still have a backlog of images that need processing, maybe when I retire I will be more efficient. One last thing, although I do some enhancement of the dust color, it is pretty much what is there so the dust has a more brown tint as does LBN 644 (Drunken Dragon Nebula), however, when I did LBN 644 a couple of months ago the natural color was more gray so I went with it. I just think it is kind of interesting how the dust appears.

 

Dates: 11-2, 19, 20, 21, 22, 28, 30, 12-1, 12, 13, 14, 18

LBN777 - The Baby Eagle Nebula (2023)
Dates: 11-2, 19, 20, 21, 22, 28, 30, 12-1, 12, 13, 14, 18
Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM-Pro
Telescope: Astro-Tech AT115EDT 115mm Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 805mm (644mm w/ FR)
f/7
Focal Reducer: 0.8x AstroTech Field Flatterner/Focal Reducer
Mount: Orion Sirius
Filter Wheel: ZWO EFW 8 x 1.25"
Filter: ZWO L, R, G, B
Focuser: ZWO EAF
Autoguiding: ASI120 Mini attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope/ZWO 60mm Guidescope
Exposure: L 384 x 120, R 141 x 90, G 145 x 90, B 135 x 90
Gain: 139
Offset 20
Sensor Temp: -10 C
Processing: NINA, PixInsight, Photoshop, BlurXTerminator, StarXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator.

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