NGC281 PacMan v1 20-Sep-23 (Explored 22-Sep-23)

Target: NGC281 Pac-Man Nebula

The Pacman nebula is named for the video game it resembles. If you put the moon in front of this nebula you would just block it. It is located 9200 light years away in the constellation of Cassiopeia, which resembles a W or M in the northern skies.

 

Gear:

Mount: ZWO AM5

Main Cam: ZWO ASI294MC Pro @ gain 121 and 14F

Guide Cam: ZWO ASI120MM Mini with ZWO 30mm f/4 scope

Lens: Sigma 150-600 @ 600

Filter: Antlia ALP-T 5nm Ha and Oiii

 

Acquisition:

Light frames: Best 48 of 66 5 minute subs totaling 4 Hr integration

Sessions: 20-Sep-23

Location: Waller, Texas country road

Bortle: 5/6 ?

Moon: none for most of session

 

Processing

• PI - Subframe selector, WBPP

• GraXpert background

• PI SPCC

• PI Russel Croman - BXT NXT STX

• PI Starless Edits

○ Bill Blanshan Mike Cranfield Narrowband Normalization Tool

○ Bill Blanshan GHS Stretch

○ Curves

○ Dark Structure Enhance

• PI Stars Edits

○ Arcsinh Stretch

○ SCNR, Invert and SCNR

○ Curve Saturation

• PS ACR Black point, Highlights, Clarity, Dehaze

• PS Selective Colors

• PS Screen stars layer, copy stars layer/brighten it/mask in selective stars

• PS Watermark

Done