Heart of Perseid: Capturing Meteors in the Cosmic Heart Nebula

In a stunning display of astrophotographical achievement, a dedicated photographer has managed to capture the ephemeral beauty of the Perseid meteor shower interacting with one of deep space's most recognizable structures: IC 1805, more commonly known as the Heart Nebula.

Over the course of 10 days, a total of 24 hours of meticulous observation and shooting resulted in the capture of three distinct Perseid meteors as they streaked across the frame, passing directly through the vibrant gas and dust clouds of the Heart Nebula.

Following up a night of intensive shooting, the photographer dedicated another three hours to capturing the nebula's intricate details, utilizing specialized Ha and OIII filters. This was performed under the challenging conditions of a full or very bright moon, a testament to the skill involved in overcoming light pollution.

The Technical Symphony Behind the Shot

The creation of this breathtaking image involved a sophisticated setup and a rigorous processing workflow:

• Telescope: Askar FRA500 + 0.7x Reducer f3.9
• Camera: ASI2600MC
• Filter: IDAS NBZ
• Mount: ZWO AM5

Acquisition Details:

• Ha, Oiii: 5 Minutes x 36 exposures at 5C Gain 100
• Meteors: 1 Minute x 1,440 exposures at 5C Gain 0

Processing Pipeline:

• PixInsight:

  • Gradient Correction
  • ImageSolver
  • SPCC
  • BlurX
  • StarX
  • Setti Narrowband to RGB Star Script
  • Histogram Transformation

• Photoshop:

  • Blend two starlets (one in hard light)
  • Selective color adjustment
  • Adding Meteors in their original positions
  • Screen Stars enhancement

• Lightroom:

  • Color balance
  • Levels adjustment
  • Desaturation
  • Bringing up whites
  • Bringing down darks

The image was captured from the pristine skies of Starfront Observatories, a Bortle 1 location, providing the ideal dark canvas for such a detailed and challenging capture.

This "Heart of Perseid" image is a remarkable fusion of natural celestial phenomena and human ingenuity, offering a unique glimpse into the dynamic and awe-inspiring universe.