NGC 3372 Carina Nebula in HSS
The vast and intricate Carina Nebula, NGC 3372, is a true jewel of the southern sky. While a popular target for many astrophotographers, I've recently been captivated by the HSS (Hubble Space Telescope-like) color palette, which combines Hydrogen-alpha, SII, and OIII narrowband data. It's surprising how few examples of the Carina Nebula rendered in this specific palette exist, prompting me to revisit my own older data and reprocess it with this stunning combination.
The results are, quite frankly, spectacular. The HSS palette brings out incredible detail and vibrant colors within the nebula's turbulent gas and dust, revealing structures that are often less apparent in other processing techniques.
A Look at the Equipment and Acquisition
To capture this celestial masterpiece, a robust setup was employed:
- Camera: ZWO ASI2600MM Pro
- Telescope: William Optics Zenithstar 73
- Mount: Juwei-14
- Guide Scope: William Optics UniGuide 50mm
- Guide Camera: ZWO ASI120MM Mini
- Filter: Antlia 2.5nm Ultra Narrowband 2" SHO Set
- Flattener: William Optics FLAT73R 0.8x Reducer
- Controller: ZWO ASIAIR Mini
- Autofocuser: ZWO EAF
- Filter Wheel: ZWO 5x2" EFW
The acquisition involved:
- Gain: 100
- SII: 21 x 30"
- Ha: 24 x 30"
- OIII: 30 x 30"
- Darks: 50
- Total Integration Time: 37.5 Minutes
- Location: Bortle 9
The Processing Journey
Transforming the raw data into this visually striking image involved several key steps:
- Stacking: Performed in Sirilic.
- Deconvolution and Denoise: Applied using GraXpert for enhanced clarity and noise reduction.
- Stretching: Completed in Siril to bring out the faint details.
- NB-RGB Script: Utilized in Siril to create a more 'natural' star appearance from the narrowband data.
- Final Touches: Cropping and camera raw filter adjustments were made in Photoshop.
You can find more details and the processed image on .
It's truly rewarding to see such a well-known object presented in a fresh and captivating way. The HSS palette truly shines on the Carina Nebula, offering a unique perspective on its immense beauty.
