M27Dumbell Nebula

Messier 27 (M27), also known as the Dumbbell Nebula, Diabolo Nebula or Apple Core Nebula, is a planetary nebula in Vulpecula. The Dumbbell Nebula is extensive and bright, making it popular among amateur astronomers. It can be seen in binoculars and small telescopes.

 

The nebula covers an area of 8 by 5.6 arc minutes of the apparent sky and has a linear radius of 1.44 light years. Its faint halo stretches out to more than 15 arc minutes. M27 lies approximately 1,360 light years, or 417 parsecs, from Earth and has an apparent magnitude of 7.5. It has the designation NGC 6853 in the New General Catalogue.

Source: www.messier-objects.com/messier-27-dumbbell-nebula/

 

 

Imaging session: September 15, 2023

Sky quality:l Bortle 5 (approx.)

Mount: iOptron CEM40G

OTA Imaging: Skywatcher 120ED with x0.85 flattener, f6.35, 768mm

Camera: ZWO ASI533MM Pro, Cooled to -10 deg C

Filter Wheel: ZWO EFW Mini

Focuser: Primaluce Lab ESATTO

Rotator: Primaluce Lab ARCO

Guiding: iOptron iGuide, 120mm: 2.9um

Computer: Primaluce Lab Eagle Pro 2 + ECCO2 (Environment)

 

 

Light Exposures:

Luminescence .. 25 x 180s

Red ........... 25 x 180s

Green ......... 25 x 180s

Blue .......... 23 x 180s (The weather curtailed the last two blue exposures.)

Calibration files:

BIAS .......... 100

Dark .......... 25

Flat .......... 25 per filter

Dark flat ..... 25 per filter

 

 

Total integration time: 4.9 hours

 

 

Processing

Method eg AstroPixelProcessor -> Topaz DeNoise AI -> -> Topaz SharpenAI -> Photoshop

Done