Eastern Veil Nebula: A Different Perspective in HOO
This past imaging season, I decided to revisit the iconic Veil Nebula, but with a twist. Instead of the usual orientation, I aimed for a different perspective, hoping to reveal new details in this celestial wonder. The result is this striking image captured in the Hydrogen-alpha (Ha) and Oxygen-III (OIII) narrowband wavelengths, presented in a HOO color combination.
The Technical Details
Capturing deep-sky objects like the Veil Nebula requires specialized equipment and meticulous planning. Here's a breakdown of the gear and setup used for this particular shot:
- Camera: Touptek ATR585m
- Filter Wheel: Touptek 8x1.25'' AFW
- Autofocuser: Touptek AAF
- Mount: EQM-35
- Filters: 6.5nm 1.25'' Ha and OIII
- Telescope: Askar 71f (490mm focal length, f/6.9)
- Guide Scope: SVBony SV165 30mm Mini Guide Scope
- Guide Camera: ZWO ASI120MM Mini
Acquisition and Processing
Acquisition was handled with the help of NINA for automation and PHD2 for guiding, ensuring precise tracking throughout the imaging session. The total integration time amounted to approximately 3 hours, comprising:
- 41 frames x 180 seconds (6.5nm 1.25'' Ha)
- 21 frames x 180 seconds (6.5nm 1.25" OIII)
The imaging took place under Bortle scale conditions of 5/6. For processing, a suite of powerful software was employed:
- DeepSkyStacker (DSS) for stacking
- Photoshop for further editing
- StarXTerminator to manage stars
- GradientXTerminator to address gradients
- NoiseXTerminator for noise reduction
This combination of hardware, software, and careful technique allowed for the creation of this detailed and aesthetically pleasing representation of the Eastern Veil Nebula.
I encourage you to check out the full details and more of my work on my .
