Fighting Dragons of Ara: A Deep Sky Astrophotography Journey
Prepare to be mesmerized by the celestial spectacle of the 'Dragons of Ara' nebula, brought to life through an incredible astrophotography endeavor. This breathtaking image is the result of over four nights of dedicated observation and painstaking data acquisition, totaling a staggering 794 individual 60-second exposures.
This marks the third deep-sky image taken with the new SharpStar 130HNT f2.8 telescope, and the author expresses considerable satisfaction with the results after meticulously dialing in the collimation. The amount of signal captured from the stacked data, which required an impressive 13 hours of processing and consumed a massive 500GB of storage, is truly remarkable. The outcome is an image with exceptionally good signal-to-noise ratio, a testament to the quality of the equipment and the precision of the process.
To put the speed of the f2.8 aperture into perspective, the author notes that capturing a comparable amount of signal with a telescope at f5.6 would necessitate around 56 hours of dedicated time on this target. This highlights the significant advantage of faster optics for deep-sky astrophotography.
Looking ahead, there are plans to create a SHO (Sulphur, Hydrogen-alpha, Oxygen-III) version of this image. This will involve combining data acquired with an Askar D2 filter alongside the Askar D1 filter used for the current image. The goal is to further resolve and enhance the Oiii regions surrounding the 'dragon's egg' – a particularly captivating feature located in the bottom-right portion of the image.
Acquisition Details:
- Telescope: SharpStar 130HNT f2.8
- Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC Pro
- Mount: RST-135
- Filter: Askar D1 Ha Oiii
- Guide Cam: ZWO ASI290mm
- Guide Cam Filter: Antlia IR
- Tripod: ZWO Carbon tripod
- Software: ASIAIR, Pixinsight
This image is a stunning example of what can be achieved with passion, perseverance, and cutting-edge equipment in the realm of astrophotography.
