Unveiling the Dark Shark: Capturing LDN 1235 from My Backyard
I'm absolutely thrilled to share my latest astrophotography endeavor: LDN 1235, also known as the Dark Shark Nebula! This striking dark nebula has been a target of mine for a few nights, and I'm incredibly pleased with how it turned out, especially considering it was captured right from my own backyard.
The moon was largely cooperative, offering just a sliver of illumination, and the skies were mostly clear. However, one night did bring a touch of fog, which I suspect is the reason the stars forming the "eye" of the shark appear a bit rougher than I'd hoped. Even with these minor challenges, the overall result is something I'm very proud of.
The Details of the Capture:
- Integration: 213x300" (18 hours over 3 nights)
- Moon Phase: Approximately 2% during the capture nights
- Location: Central Missouri, USA (Bortle 4 backyard)
- Camera: ZWO ASI533MC Pro
- Scope: Sharpstar Optics Askar 71F refractor (a truly wonderful scope, highly recommended!)
- Mount: Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro
- Filter: Optolong UV/IR
- Guiding: ZWO ASI120MM mini + Svbony SV165 mini guide scope
Processing Workflow:
My post-processing journey involved a suite of powerful tools in PixInsight. I started with SPCC (Spectro-photometry Color Calibration) to ensure accurate color rendition. To tackle noise and introduce sharpness, I utilized NoiseXterminator and BlurXTerminator. A gentle Generalized Hyperbolic Stretch was applied before using StarXterminator to carefully remove the stars, allowing the delicate details of the dark nebula and background to shine. Finally, I performed further stretching on the nebula and background, followed by Curves adjustments to boost saturation and bring out the full dramatic contrast of the Dark Shark.
A Little Hiccup in the Process:
I had planned for even more integration time, but during one of the meridian flips, a minor equipment malfunction occurred. The power brick for my ASIAir came loose, leading to a complete loss of guiding for a significant portion of an imaging session. This resulted in about 4 hours of streaky, unusable frames. While frustrating, it was an easy enough issue to diagnose – upon waking up and reviewing the data, the culprit was immediately apparent! These learning experiences are all part of the astrophotography adventure.
The Image:
I hope you enjoy this glimpse of the Dark Shark Nebula! It's always a rewarding experience to capture such majestic celestial objects from the comfort of home.
