The Cygnus Loop
I've finished my two-year long quest to make a satisfying image of the Cygnus Loop. This is the result of 23.5 hours of imaging over 11 nights in July and August. It took that long to get 11 clear nights! This image is 4.15 degrees wide, which is more than eight full moons.
It was an image of the eastern arc (on the left) that inspired me as a boy to a lifelong love of astronomy. The photographer, W. C. Miller, worked at Palomar Observatory and is considered (at least by me) to be the father of modern aesthetic astrophotography. He pioneered the use of color film to capture the beauty of the heavens, as well as to provide imagery of scientific value. I have a print of his image of the eastern arc hanging in my mancave, and it has inspired me to this three year long quest for my own image of this incredibly beautiful and complex object.
The Cygnus Loop is a supernova remnant, the shattered remains of a star that exploded perhaps some 8000 years ago. It's less than 2000 light years away, and so the intricate details of its shock waves can be clearly seen and studied. It is expanding at hundreds of thousands of miles per hour. At that speed, the differences in position and structure are apparent over the time span of decades.
Scientific interests aside, the Cygnus Loop is one of the most beautiful objects in our sky. I'm quite happy with this result. I wish you could see it at its full resolution of 7253x7253 pixels!
The Cygnus Loop
I've finished my two-year long quest to make a satisfying image of the Cygnus Loop. This is the result of 23.5 hours of imaging over 11 nights in July and August. It took that long to get 11 clear nights! This image is 4.15 degrees wide, which is more than eight full moons.
It was an image of the eastern arc (on the left) that inspired me as a boy to a lifelong love of astronomy. The photographer, W. C. Miller, worked at Palomar Observatory and is considered (at least by me) to be the father of modern aesthetic astrophotography. He pioneered the use of color film to capture the beauty of the heavens, as well as to provide imagery of scientific value. I have a print of his image of the eastern arc hanging in my mancave, and it has inspired me to this three year long quest for my own image of this incredibly beautiful and complex object.
The Cygnus Loop is a supernova remnant, the shattered remains of a star that exploded perhaps some 8000 years ago. It's less than 2000 light years away, and so the intricate details of its shock waves can be clearly seen and studied. It is expanding at hundreds of thousands of miles per hour. At that speed, the differences in position and structure are apparent over the time span of decades.
Scientific interests aside, the Cygnus Loop is one of the most beautiful objects in our sky. I'm quite happy with this result. I wish you could see it at its full resolution of 7253x7253 pixels!