My "best of..." Nebula images from the 2012/2013 imaging season

[Steve Coates]

NGC 2264 the Cone and Fox Fur nebula is a diffuse, dark and emission nebula ~2,700 light years from Earth, located in the constellation Monoceros.
Imaged January 14 and January 16, 2013 from Ocala, Florida.
RGB data: 6 minute exposure (each channel) stacked in DSS for a total of 3 hours
Ha data: 15minute exposure stacked in DSS for a total of 4 hours.
Click here for Ha image.
Click here to view retired image.
PS CS5
Orion 80mm EON
Orion 50mm guide scope with SSAG
QSI 683ws
Losmandy G-11 with Gemini II
7nm Baader Ha filter

IC 405 the Flaming Star nebula is an emission and a reflection nebula located in the constellation of Auriga about 1,500 light years away. The central blue region is from light reflecting off of dust granules from the nearby star AE Auriga.
Imaged December 19, 2012, January 9 and January 10, 2013 from Ocala, Florida.
RGB data: 6 minute exposure (each channel) stacked in DSS for a total of 3 hours
Ha data: 15minute exposure stacked in DSS for a total of 4 hours.
Click here to view Ha image.
PS CS5
Orion 80mm EON
Orion 50mm guide scope with SSAG
QSI 683ws
Losmandy G-11 with Gemini II
7nm Baader Ha filter

Rosette nebula (aka NGC 2237, NGC 2238, NGC 2239, NGC 2244, NGC 2246) is an emission nebula associated with open clusters of stars located in the constellation of Monoceros, 5,200 light years away.
Imaged December 29 and 31, 2011, January 6, 2012 from Ocala, Florida.
Ha data collected on December 22, 2012
RGB data: 2 minute exposure stacked in DSS for a total of 3 hours and 40 min
Ha data: 15minute exposure stacked in DSS for a total of 2 hours and 45 min.
PS CS5
Orion 80mm EON
Orion 50mm guide scope with SSAG
Canon T1i
QSI 683ws
Losmandy G-11 with Gemini II
7nm Baader Ha filter
Hutech IDAS Light Pollution Suppression (LPS) Filter

IC 410 an emission nebula about 12,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Auriga. Near the center of the nebulous region is a star cluster ( NGC 1893) and just to the bottom right of this cluster lies two structures that resemble tadpoles. These structures are made of leftover hydrogen and dust from the formation of the star cluster and the "tails" are from the solar wind coming from the stars of NGC 1893.

Imaged December 4, 6,7 and 18, 2012 from Ocala, Florida
RGB: 1 hour 18 min Red, 1 hour Green and 1 hour Blue (binned 1x1)
Ha: 5hour 15 min (binned 1x1)
Click here to view Narrowband image
PS CS5
Orion 80mm EON (FL 480mm)
Orion 50mm guide scope with SSAG
QSI 683 ws
Losmandy G-11 with Gemini II
Astrodon Tru-balance E-Series Generation II LRGB filters
Baader 7 nm Ha filter

NGC 1499 the California nebula
~1,000 light years from Earth
Emission nebula in the constellation Perseus
Imaged November 8 and December 1, 2012 from Ocala, Florida
RGB: 1 hour 6 min Red, 1 hour Green and 1 hour Blue (binned 1x1)
Ha: 2 hour 15 min (binned 1x1)
Click here to view Narrowband image
PS CS5
Orion 80mm EON (FL 480mm)
Orion 50mm guide scope with SSAG
QSI 683 ws
Losmandy G-11 with Gemini II
Astrodon Tru-balance E-Series Generation II LRGB filters
Baader 7 nm Ha filter

IC 1805 the Heart nebula (NGC 896 located in the upper right corner of image)
~7,500 light years from Earth
Emission nebula in the constellation Cassiopeia
Imaged November 10, 11 and 18, 2012 from Ocala, Florida
RGB: 1 hour Red, 1 hour Green and 1 hour 6 min Blue (binned 1x1)
Ha: 2 hour 15 min (binned 1x1)
Click here to view Narrowband image
PS CS5
Orion 80mm EON (FL 480mm)
Orion 50mm guide scope with SSAG
QSI 683 ws
Losmandy G-11 with Gemini II
Astrodon Tru-balance E-Series Generation II LRGB filters
Baader 7 nm Ha filter

IC 1848 the Soul nebula
Emission nebulae in Cassiopeia ~7,500 light years from Earth
Taken November 8 and 9, 2012
Ocala, Florida
RGB: 1 hour Red, 1 hour Green and 1 hour 18 min Blue (binned 1x1)
Ha: 2 hour 15 min (binned 1x1)
Click here to view Narrowband image
PS CS5
Orion 80mm EON (FL 480mm)
Orion 50mm guide scope with SSAG
QSI 683 ws
Losmandy G-11 with Gemini II
Astrodon Tru-balance E-Series Generation II LRGB filters
Baader 7 nm Ha filter

Barnard 33 the Horsehead nebula
12/17, 12/18 and 12/22, 2011 and 1/2, 1/3 2012
Emission, reflection and dark nebula ~1,344 light from Earth lacated in the Orion constellation.
Ocala, FL
RGB data: combination of 2 minute and 4 minute exposure stacked in DSS for a total of 5 hours and 2 min
PS CS5
RegiStar
Orion 80mm EON
Orion 50mm guide scope with SSAG
Canon T1i
Losmandy G-11 with Gemini II
Atronomik 6nm Ha clip filter for Canon EOS
Hutech IDAS Light Pollution Suppression (LPS) Filter

***3 hours of Ha data added on November 4 and 5, 2012 using Baader 6nm Ha filter and QSI 683 ws
Click here to see prior image of this nebula

IC 443 the Jellyfish nebula
Supernova remnant located in the constellation Gemini about 5,000 light years from Earth. A supernova remnant is the material expelled from a massive star that burned up all of it's fuel and collapsed onto itself.
Imaged from Ocala, Florida
January 11 and 12, 2012
RGB: 1 hour Red, 1 hour Green and 1 hour Blue (binned 1x1)
Ha: 4 hours (binned 1x1)
Click here to view Narrowband image
PS CS5
Orion 80mm EON (FL 480mm)
Orion 50mm guide scope with SSAG
QSI 683 ws
Losmandy G-11 with Gemini II
Astrodon Tru-balance E-Series Generation II LRGB filters
Baader 7 nm Ha filter

[Greg Marshall]

Thanks. I'm impressed with what you've been able to capture. My location is suburban, Bortle scale 5 or 6 (6 to the south for sure), but I rarely even attempt LRGB imaging - it's 90% narrowband. But I do like the advantages of a small refractor!

[Steve Coates]

Thanks Greg,
My skies are city, Bortle scale 7. Summertime is tough, hot, humid and often rainy as the day wears on. Fall, Winter and Spring are near perfect with clear skies (excellent transparancy and good seeing) and I am low enough to image lower hemisphere targets (Helix/Sculptor).

[Greg Marshall]

All great images, Steve. What are your typical sky conditions in terms of darkness and seeing?