Corona Australis Cloud: A 60-Hour Deep Dive

Behold the awe-inspiring beauty of the Corona Australis Cloud, a testament to dedication and the wonders of the night sky. This incredible image is the result of a meticulous 10-panel mosaic, painstakingly captured over an astonishing 60 hours of integration time.

A Journey Through the Cosmos

The creator pushed the boundaries of their equipment and location, aiming for 6 hours of exposure per panel. While acknowledging the potential for even longer subs to capture fainter signal, the result is a breathtaking view of this complex stellar nursery. Subtle noise in the fainter regions and slight variations between panels hint at the challenges overcome in achieving this final, stretched image.

The Gear and the Process

Bringing this celestial vision to life involved a sophisticated setup and a rigorous processing workflow:

Equipment:

• Telescope: William Optics ZenithStar 61 / ZS61
• Camera: ZWO ASI533MC Pro
• Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro
• Filter: ZWO UV IR CUT 2"
• Accessories: PrimaLuceLab EAGLE5S, PrimaLuceLab ECCO 2, ZWO EAF
• Software: PixInsight, Stefan Berg Nighttime Imaging 'N' Astronomy (N.I.N.A. / NINA)
• Guiding Equipment: ZWO 30mm Mini Guider Scope, ZWO ASI120MM-S

Image Details:

A 10-panel mosaic image, with each panel having an integration time of 6 hours (360 x 60 sec subs), totaling a remarkable 60 hours of observation.

Processing Workflow (All in Pixinsight):

Each Panel:

1. Stacked with WDPP
2. Dynamic crop
3. Image solved for astrometric solution
4. Gradient removed using Graxpert
5. Star correction using BlurXterminator

Mosaic Assembly:

1. All 10 frames aligned using Mosaic by Coordinates script.
2. Frames trimmed using Mosaic Trim.
3. Mosaic assembled using Photometric Mosaic script.
4. Image solved for astrometric solution.
5. Remaining gradient removed using Graxpert.
6. Colors corrected using Spectrophotometric Color Calibration.
7. Stretched using Statistical Stretch script.
8. Stars removed with StarXterminator.
9. S-curve adjustments applied with Curves Transformation.
10. Colors boosted using masks and Curves Transformation.
11. Green cast removed with SCNR.
12. Final noise reduction applied using NoiseXterminator.
13. Stars rescreened using Pixelmath.
14. Image resampled to a reasonable size.

This image is a testament to the incredible detail and beauty that can be revealed with patience, advanced equipment, and meticulous processing. The Corona Australis Cloud, a region of active star formation, comes alive in this stunning portrayal.