IC 447 - Dreyer's Nebula

IC 447, or Dreyer's Nebula, is a reflection nebula in Monoceros. Surrounded by lots of different reflection bits, it sits next to a large hydrogen cloud.

 

- Location: Remote Observatory (Bortle 1, SQM 21.99) near Fort Davis, TX

- Total Exposure Time: 19.75 Hours

 

Equipment:

- Scope: Takahashi FSQ106EDX4

- Imaging Camera: QHY 268M

- Filters: Chroma LRGB (36mm)

- Mount: Astro Physics Mach1GTO

- Guidescope: SVBony 50mm Guidescope

- Guide camera: ASI 120mm mini

- Focuser: Moonlite Nitecrawler WR35

- Accessories: Pegasus Ultimate Powerbox v2, QHY Polemaster, Optec Alnitak Flip Flat

 

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Software:

- N.I.N.A for image acquisition, platesolving, and framing

- PHD2 for guiding

- PixInsight for processing

 

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Acquisition:

- L: 193 x 3m

- R: 71 x 3m

- G: 66 x 3m

- B: 65 x 3m

- All images at Gain 56, Offset 25 (Readout mode 1) and -5C sensor temperature

- 20 flats per filter

- Master Dark, Flat & Bias from Library

- Nights: 2/11, 2/17, 2/24, 3/11, 3/14, 3/15, 3/23, 3/24, 3/26, 3/27/23

 

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Processing:

 

- WBPP for Calibration

- Blink to remove bad subs

- ImageIntegration for stacking

 

RGB Processing (apply to each master pre-combination):

- DynamicCrop

- MureDenoise

- DynamicBackgroundExtraction

- StarAlign G and B to R

- ChannelCombination to combine into linear RGB

- DynamicBackgroundExtraction

- StarAlign to luminance

- StarXterminator to make starless and save RGB stars

- HistogramTransformation for stretch

- NoiseXterminator for noise reduction

- RangeMask + HDRMultiscaleTransform to bring back bright reflection

 

Luminance Processing:

- DynamicCrop

- MureDenoise

- DynamicBackgroundExtraction

- BlurXterminator for sharpening

- StarXterminator to make starless and save luminance stars

- GeneralizedHyperbolicStretch for intial stretch

- HistogramTransformation for additional stretch

- NoiseXterminator with luminance mask for noise reduction

- RangeMask + CurvesTransformation for contrast adjustment

- RangeMask + HDRMultiscaleTransform to bring back bright reflection

 

Combine LRGB:

- LRGBCombination to combine Lum and RGB with saturation of 0.4

- MultiscaleMedianTransform for chrominance NR

- ColorSaturation to saturate blue and red

- Various CurvesTransformations for contrast and hue using colormasks

- Masked NoiseXterminator for noise reduction

 

Add Stars to LRGB and further processing:

- HistogramTransformation to stretch RGB and Lum stars the same

- LRGBCombination to combine Lum and RGB stars

- CurvesTransformation to saturate stars

- PixelMath to combine stars and starless nebula

- Masked NoiseXterminator for noise reduction 2x

- Apply lum stars as mask and MorphologicalTransformation for slight star reduction

 

Done