North America & The Pelican Nebulas: A Bortle 8/9 Spectacle
Even with the challenges of a Bortle 8/9 location, near the bustling city of Lisbon, Portugal, the universe still finds ways to shine. This incredible capture of the North America Nebula (NGC 7000) and the adjoining Pelican Nebula is a testament to the power of modern astrophotography equipment and meticulous processing.
The Gear Behind the Glory
The photographer utilized a fantastic setup to gather this stunning data:
- Telescope: William Optics RedCat 51 wifd (250mm)
- Camera: ZWO ASI2600MM PRO
- Filters: Antlia 4.5nm HSO filters, Optolong LRGB Filters
- Mount: ZWO AM5n
- Control System: ZWO AsiAir Plus 256gb
- Tripod: Skytracker 1.75" steel tripod with ZWO 160mm pier extension
Capturing the Cosmos in a Single Night
Despite the light pollution, a remarkable single-night integration was achieved:
- Narrowband Data: 26x 300-second exposures in Hydrogen-alpha (Ha), 15x 300-second exposures in Oxygen-III (O3), and 15x 300-second exposures in Sulfur-II (S2).
- RGB Data (for stars): 10x 90-second exposures for Red, Green, and Blue channels.
- Calibration Frames: 30 flats per filter, 60 bias frames, and 30 dark frames per capture speed were crucial for cleaning the data.
The Art of Processing
Post-processing is where the magic truly happens, especially when dealing with challenging data. The raw frames were expertly stacked and processed using Pixinsight, a powerful suite of astrophotography processing tools. Further enhancements and cropping were performed in Pixelmator Pro to bring out the intricate details and vibrant colors of these iconic nebulae.
This image serves as an inspiration, demonstrating that with the right approach, the wonders of the night sky can be revealed from almost anywhere.
