NGC 2174

[groberts]

I have a problem with some DSO nicknames, the problem is that they often absolutely do look like the object they’re meant to depict but, like an earworm is to music, once seen they are difficult to view any other way.  So back in late February / early March I set out to produce an image of NGC 2174 (the Monkey Head Nebula) that was less 'monkey-like'!  I'm rather pleased with the outcome, that has been processed in a dynamic SHO palette and, to my eye, is a lot less monkey and more emission nebula.

Graham

 

Imaging Details:

William Optics GT81 + ZWO ASI294MM Pro camera + Chroma RGB and 3nm narrowband filters.

Taken over 3-nights between 26th February & 2nd March

SHO dynamic palette processed in PixInsight 

Ha 36x 300s

OIII 30 x 300s 

SII 32 x 300s

Total integration = 8hr 10min

  

[wimvb]

Very nice. If you rotate the image 90 degrees clockwise, you'll see why it's called the monkey head nebula.