Predator-Prey Nebula - a 5 panel RASA mosaic

[gorann]

My final backyard image for the season is this five-panel mosaic of Integrated Flux Nebulosity (IFN) in Camelopardalis one hour west of the Fish Hook Nebula (Mandel-Wilson 5). The structures have no names or designations as far as I know so I decided to call them The Predator-Prey Nebula. The prey is that frightened looking central structure and the predator is the staghorn beetle like stucture coming up from lower right.

Apart from being just about visible on Aladin Sky Atlas (DSS red data) I have not seen any images of these very faint but gigant structures (about 60 moons would fit into this 6° wide image) in the outskirts of our galaxy, primarily lit up buy the collective radiation from the galaxy.

Caught during three nights 10 - 16 April with two RASA 8 and ASI2600MC (gain 100). 254 x 5 minutes, so about 21 hours. Stacked and put together in PI. Processed in PS and PI.

The image has been downsampled from 10670 x 7931 pixels.

RA center: 5h 40' 34"

DEC center: +65° 46' 26"

[peter shah]

Thats a serious bit of work Goran....top stuff at usual

[gorann]

4 minutes ago, peter shah said:

Thats a serious bit of work Goran....top stuff at usual

Thanks a lot Peter!

The same goes for your image of IFN around Polaris that I was looking at a minute ago. Need to give that area another try with a RASA 8 and short unguided exposures - just need astrodarkness to come back.

[peter shah]

1 minute ago, gorann said:

just need astrodarkness to come back.

The Summer is on its way ....seems to come around too fast

[Sunshine]

That is a beautiful image, absorbing!

[Padraic M]

Superb!

[gorann]

44 minutes ago, Sunshine said:

That is a beautiful image, absorbing!

 

16 minutes ago, Padraic M said:

Superb!

Thanks guys, much appreciated!

[Mr Spock]

Woah! That's spectacular! Top notch imaging and processing 👍

[gorann]

12 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

Woah! That's spectacular! Top notch imaging and processing 👍

Thanks a lot Michael, you are too kind!

[teoria_del_big_bang]

I couldn't agree more with the above comments, it simply stunning and beautiful.

Steve

[gorann]

51 minutes ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

I couldn't agree more with the above comments, it simply stunning and beautiful.

Steve

Thanks a lot Steve, really appreciated!

[iapa]

2 hours ago, peter shah said:

The Summer is on its way ....seems to come around too fast

Who can believe that a decade ago, many of us bemoaned the approach of winter?

Now we bemoan the shortage of time between the end of one and start of the next …

[gorann]

1 hour ago, iapa said:

Who can believe that a decade ago, many of us bemoaned the approach of winter?

Now we bemoan the shortage of time between the end of one and start of the next …

Actually, I would be really depressed if loss of astrodarkness coinsided with winter. I love the summer and all that comes with it. So I really do not mind getting a break from astrophotography in the summer. I feel the other way around: astrophotography is what gets me through the winter.

[CCD Imager]

I agree with above comments, lovely image. I treat Autumn, Winter and Spring as Astrophotography season and the summer as walking and terrestial photography season!

[gorann]

10 hours ago, CCD Imager said:

I agree with above comments, lovely image. I treat Autumn, Winter and Spring as Astrophotography season and the summer as walking and terrestial photography season!

Thanks and yes: I actually do not mind a break now. 8-9 months out of 12 is quite OK for astrophotography for me, and then I have something to really look forward to (and prepare for) when the summer comes to an end.

Edited April 27, 2021 by gorann

[alan potts]

Always a pleasure to view your stunning images, something of a shame you have to stop due to lack of darkness. Although days are very short in winter I imagine the weather is less friendly. Been poor here for a while not much clear at all.

Alan

[Adam1234]

Incredible!

[gorann]

14 hours ago, alan potts said:

Always a pleasure to view your stunning images, something of a shame you have to stop due to lack of darkness. Although days are very short in winter I imagine the weather is less friendly. Been poor here for a while not much clear at all.

Alan

Thanks a lot Alan! Fortunately summer aslo has its treats - at least I try to tell myself that😎

[gorann]

2 hours ago, Adam1234 said:

Incredible!

Thanks a lot Adam!

[old_eyes]

That is a seriously rich image of a very difficult target. Congratulations on hunting out a newly named astro-feature - I like the predator/prey idea. I saw the Staghorn beetle immediately! Scary!

[gorann]

16 hours ago, old_eyes said:

That is a seriously rich image of a very difficult target. Congratulations on hunting out a newly named astro-feature - I like the predator/prey idea. I saw the Staghorn beetle immediately! Scary!

Thanks a lot! I am pleased that you see the creatures too. Maybe the name will stick.