Running Chicken Nebula: An 11-Hour Deep Sky Odyssey
This past week, I embarked on a challenging yet rewarding deep-sky imaging project: capturing the Running Chicken Nebula. With a total exposure time of just over 11 hours (332 x 120s frames), this image represents a significant effort, especially considering the less-than-ideal conditions.
The Technical Details
- Telescope: 200mm f/2.8 lens
- Camera: Stock Canon 650D
- Mount: HEQ5 Pro (unguided)
- Exposure: 332 x 120 seconds (approximately 11 hours)
- Moon Phase: 50-100% moon phase (a significant challenge for deep-sky imaging)
- Acquisition Software: Not explicitly stated, but likely standard DSLR control software.
- Stacking Software: Siril
- Processing Software: PixInsight
Overcoming the Odds
This project was undertaken as a "full moon project," meaning I was imaging during a period with significant moonlight interference. This typically makes capturing faint deep-sky objects very difficult. Furthermore, I was dealing with light pollution, resulting in imaging through what is estimated to be magnitude 15 skies. For anyone familiar with astrophotography, these are considerable obstacles.
I've always been drawn to this region of the sky, even with the immense presence of the Carina Nebula nearby. For some reason, I'd put off imaging the Running Chicken Nebula, but I'm glad I finally decided to tackle it.
The Result
While I wouldn't call this an amazing image in an absolute sense, given the equipment and the challenging conditions (especially the full moon and light pollution), I'm quite pleased with the result. It's a testament to the power of stacking and processing techniques to pull out detail even from less-than-perfect data.
One commenter pointed out an interesting "box" shape in the center of the image, attributing it to human pattern-matching. It's fascinating how our minds can find shapes and structures in natural phenomena, and it definitely adds another layer of intrigue to the image!
This project has certainly given me valuable experience in pushing my equipment and processing skills under difficult circumstances. I'm eager to revisit this nebula when the moon cycle is more favorable and continue my "rho project"!
