NGC 281 (Pacman Nebula)
(place cursor over
image to view a version without stars)
Characteristics:
Magnitude: 7.0 (open star
cluster IC 1590 in center)
Size: about 35'
Distance: ?10,000 light years
RA: 0h 52m 48s
Dec: 56 degrees 37' 0"
PA: +326 degrees
Description:
Please keep your cursor outside of the
image to see the original version with stars, and
place it over the image to see the version without stars, which
provides a different perspective of the nebula portion of this object.
NGC
281 is a region rich in HII emission as a result of excitation from UV
light emitted by the central young star cluster IC 1590. There
are
prominent Bok Globules in the central portion of this image, that
represent cooler regions of hydrogen gas that are incubating a central
protostar(s), which is not yet apparent in visible light. More
information about this region can be found at Rob
Gendler's website.
Photographic
Details:
Dates: Septermber 27, 2014
Scope: Takahashi
FSQ106 at f5 on the Takahashi NJP
Mount
Autoguider: SBIG ST-402 with
60mm guidescope, focal length 227mm
Camera: SBIG ST8300 at -15C, with
Starlight Xpress USB filter wheel
Filters: Baader
filters: RBG and Ha
Exposures: Total
HaRGB exposure 8 hours.
Post-processing:
Calibrated, aligned, and stacked in Maxim, followed
by DDP
in ImagesPlus (IP). Further processing in Photoshop CS (16
bit format).
Please
note: Graphics on this website
may not be reproduced without author permission.
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