The Gabriela Mistral Nebula (also known as NGC 3324 and IC 2599) is an emission nebula, an HII region excited by an open star cluster (OCL 819) in its center. It is located about 7,200 light-years away at the northwest corner of the Carina Nebula (NGC 3372) in the southern constellation of Carina. In fact, IC 2599 is the southern part of NGC 3324.
A rich deposit of gas and dust in the NGC 3324 region fuelled a burst of starbirth millions of years ago and led to the creation of several extremely massive and very hot stars. The intense ultraviolet radiation from these hot young stars causes the gas cloud to glow and has carved out a cavity in the surrounding gas and dust. In fact the stars are slowly eroding the gas cloud away. NGC 3324 is called the Gabriela Mistral nebula, after the Nobel Prize-winning poet from Chile.
Imaging telescopes or lenses: William Optics FLT 110 TBM with focal reducer Flt110 w Reducer
Imaging cameras: QSI 683WSG-8 OAG QSI 683
Mounts: Skywatcher NEQ6
Guiding cameras: Orion Starshoot Autoguider Starshoot autoguider
Focal reducers: WILLIAM OPTICS P-FLAT 4 P-Flat 4
Software: Photoshop CS5, Nebulosity 3.2, Noel Carboni’s Astro Tools for PhotoShop Noel Carboni Actions, PHD GUIDING, Nik Software, Inc. Nik Filters, Sky Safari Pro, iOS Sky Safari Pro
Filters: astrodon 5nm NB filters NarrowBand Filters
Accessories: Kendrick Standard Dual Channel Controller
Resolution: 2160×2129
Dates: Jan. 24, 2015
Frames: 21×900″
Integration: 5.2 hours
Avg. Moon age: 3.93 days
Avg. Moon phase: 16.50%
RA center: 159.280 degrees
DEC center: -58.635 degrees
Pixel scale: 1.739 arcsec/pixel
Orientation: -88.648 degrees
Field radius: 0.732 degrees
Locations: Leon Mow Dark Sky Site, Heathcote, Victoria, Australia
Author: Andy
