Going deep in the Cocoon Nebula

[mftoet]

During my current stay with friends at Olly's 'Les Granges' in Southern France (where the skies are much darker than at home in the Netherlands) my friends and I had a clear spell from August 23 to 26 and - inspired by the images of Fabian Neyer and Marcel Drechsler - I decided to go deep on the Cocoon Nebula. Captured with a Takahashi ε-180ED and Nikon D810a. Total integration time is 21 hours and 10 minutes of which 8 hours and 10 minutes through a 3.5 nm Hα filter (during the period the moon was above the horizon). The Hα layer gives an incredible debt to this field of view. The Hα signal was blend in by mixing it 50% (layer in 'lighten' mode) with the red channel in Photoshop. 

[pietervdv]

Looks amazing and has your signature touch! (as usual off course 😊) 

Pieter 

[sharkmelley]

I've never seen the Cocoon so deep!  Fabulous image!  Helped by the fast optics of the Tak Epsilon of course 😉

Mark

 

[HunterHarling]

Beautify processed image! I really like the star field.

1 hour ago, sharkmelley said:

I've never seen the Cocoon so deep!  Fabulous image!  Helped by the fast optics of the Tak Epsilon of course 😉

Mark

 

I believe that this image is a bit deeper...

[mftoet]

Thank you!

 @HunterHarling: yes, that’s the exceptional image of Marcel I referred to in the opening post. 

[Boren]

It was worth every minute under the skies. Such a captivating vista. Lovely work!

[ollypenrice]

Great image. It's easy to over-do the Ha on this. (Easy if you have the exposure time, that is!) As we were discussing during your visit there's a danger of it turning into a kind of stunt. Here the image brings in the Ha but it's still a natural looking image as yours always are.

Olly

Edit: there's another coathanger in the lower right as well!

[Tom OD]

In case I did not say this already , I think the Ha was perfectly added in this pic. Not overwhelming, and so delicate. Top marks Maurice. 

Tom.