Out of adversity... the Blue Horsehead Nebula, IC4592

[Fegato]

We've had a number of clear and moonless nights in the last week, and I had my eyes on the Blue Horsehead Nebula. It's very low here - max just over 18 degrees altitude - but you can get almost 90 minutes imaging it in astronomical darkness at this time of year, so I thought I'd give it a go.

I needed a 2 panel mosaic to get the framing right. On the first night I shot panel 1 and it looked promising, and I thought I maybe had just about enough data, so set up panel 2 the following night. Scratched my head the next morning as the frame looked very similar to the previous night - ah, I'd put panel 1 into the sequencer again! (doh!).  A third clear night allowed me to have a go at panel 2, but clouds came in during the early hours and ruined it. A fourth session really suffered from the wind - it wasn't really a night for imaging, although I got about 40% just about usable subs. Fortunately a fifth night got me a completed panel 2.  Really lucky to get that many chances, doesn't happen here very often!

Anyway, here it is. I've tried to keep the processing reasonably subtle, and despite the name, I've been purposefully light on saturating the blues.

Acquisition details - RASA 11 v2 on CEM120, ASI2400MC Pro, no filters, 190 x 30" (1h 35'), 250 x 20" (1h 23')

 

[ollypenrice]

Oh, that's an absolute winner, beautifully done. We don't see many images of this quality, let alone from low elevation and with short integration.

Loud applause from me.

Olly

[Laurin Dave]

Marvellous image, and very nicely processed.   You must have a very good southern horizon 

Dave 

[ONIKKINEN]

Amazing!

[Fegato]

12 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

Oh, that's an absolute winner, beautifully done. We don't see many images of this quality, let alone from low elevation and with short integration.

Loud applause from me.

Olly

thanks Olly!

[Fegato]

10 hours ago, Laurin Dave said:

Marvellous image, and very nicely processed.   You must have a very good southern horizon 

Dave 

Thanks Dave! My skies are just about Bortle 3. It's darkest to the North, and I have low light plumes to SE and SW, but yes, due South is pretty decent. There's a low wooded hill that prevents me going too much lower than this, but that probably helps a bit too - not a single artificial light to be seen.