The North America Nebula is large, covering an area of more than four times the size of the full moon; but its surface brightness is low, so normally it cannot be seen with the unaided eye. Binoculars and telescopes with large fields of view (approximately 3°) will show it as a foggy patch of light under sufficiently dark skies. However, using a UHC filter, which filters out some unwanted wavelengths of light, it can be seen without magnification under dark skies. Its prominent shape and especially its reddish color (from the hydrogen Hα emission line) show up only in photographs of the area.

Cygnus’s Wall is a term for the “Mexico and Central America part” of the North America Nebula. The Cygnus Wall exhibits the most concentrated star formations in the nebula.

Camera : SBIG STF-8300M (cooled at-5C)
Telescope/Lens : Takahashi FSQ-85ED (450mm f/5.3)
Filter : Astrodon Ha, SII, OIII
Tracking Mount : Takahashi EM-11
Autoguide : SBIG SG-4

Total Exposure Time : Ha-70mins, SII-60mins, OIII-55mins
w Dark Frames, Bias Frames
process w CCD stack,PI, PS5

Autor: Vincent Vegabort

AstroPhotography of the day by SPONLI
5 January 2014

We select the best works of amateur astrophotographers with details of equipment, shooting processing etc.