Ghost Nebula

Constellation: Cepheus        Distance: 1.500 lightyears

vdB141

Click for full resolution (3200 x 2400)

Image spcefications:
  • Exposure: 7 hours, LRGB = 290:45:45:50 minutes
  • Camera: SBIG ST-8300M, Temp -15 ° C, Baader RGB filters
  • Instrument: TEC 140 with field flattener, focal distance 980 mm
  • Mount: Losmandy G11
  • Guiding: TS Off Axisguider, Starlight Xpress Lodestar autoguider and PHD
  • Location: Etoile St. Cyrice, France
  • Sky Quality Meter: between 21,45 and 21,49
  • Ambient temperature: between 21° C and 17° C
  • Date: 20, 21 and 23 august 2012

Image acquisition with ImagesPlus 4.0 Camera Control with dither:
  • 29 Luminance of 10 min, binned 1x1
  • 9 Red + 9 Green + 10 Blue of 5 min, binned 2x2
  • 20 Flat fields per channel with Aurora Flatfield panel
  • At home, camera in fridge:
  • 20 Dark frames of 10 min + 20 Dark frames of 5 min
  • 20 Flat darks (per channel) + 20 Bias frames

Processing in PixInsight 1.7
  • ImageCalibration, ImageIntegration, StarAlignment, ChannelCombination
  • BackgroundNeutralization, ColorCalibration, HistogramTransformation
  • LRGBCombination, ACDNR, CurvesTransformation, SCNR
  • ATrousWaveletTransform, PixelMath
  • Multiscale processing technique based on article in AstroPhotoInsight nov-dec 2011

Processing in Photoshop CS3:
  • Levels