IC63 Ghost of Cassiopeia 01-Nov-23 v1.

Target: IC63 Ghost of Cassiopeia.

About 550 light-years away in the constellation of Cassiopeia lies IC 63, a fitting nebula for Halloween time.

Also known as the ghost of Cassiopeia, IC 63 is being shaped by radiation from a variable star, Gamma Cassiopeiae, which is slowly eroding away the ghostly cloud of dust and gas.

 

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 @ 575

Filter: Antlia ALP-T 5nm Ha and Oiii

 

Acquisition:

Light frames: Best 60 of 84 5 minute subs totalling 5 Hr integration

Sessions: 01-Nov-23

Location: Houston Colorado County, Texas

Bortle: 5

Moon: 87%, 60degrees off target

 

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

○ GHS Stretch

○ Curves

• 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