My First Deep-Sky Project: Capturing the North America Nebula (NGC 7000)
Hello fellow stargazers and aspiring astrophotographers! This is my very first post in this community, and I'm thrilled to share my first "real" astrophotography project: the North America Nebula, also known as NGC 7000.
As a beginner, I'm absolutely hooked on this hobby. It's an incredible feeling to capture these distant celestial wonders. My setup for this project was a Canon 6D, a Redcat 51 telescope, and a trusty Star Adventurer tracker.
The Journey to the Nebula
It wasn't an entirely smooth ride! I had to contend with some challenging wind conditions and spent the entire night out in a field, even sleeping in my car. But let me tell you, it was totally worth it! The sheer joy of seeing the nebula come to life on my screen made all the effort worthwhile.
Discovering the Power of PixInsight
I'm also incredibly impressed with PixInsight. There's so much to learn, and the online resources are fantastic for beginners. I'm already dreaming of what I can achieve with autoguiding and a cooled astro camera – I've even started setting aside funds for it!
Technical Details (for fellow beginners!)
For those curious about my acquisition settings, I managed to capture around 70 subframes, each with a 2-minute exposure. I used a standard UHC filter. To ensure the best possible data, I also collected Darks, Flats, and Bias frames. It was a bit of a surprise to myself that I could achieve 2-minute exposures without autoguiding on my first real attempt!
I'm so excited to continue learning and pushing the boundaries of what I can capture. The universe is a vast and beautiful place, and I can't wait to explore more of it through my lens.
What are your thoughts on the image? Any tips for a beginner looking to process Oiii data in PixInsight?
