NGC 7008 - Fetus Nebula

[ionia23]

Object: NGC 7008
Common Name: Fetus nebula
Object Type: Planetary nebula
Object Location: Cygnus constellation
Magnitude: 12.0
Distance: 2,800 light years
Imaging Date: 05-16-2022
Imaging Location: Tucson, AZ
Telescope: Williams Optics 105mm refractor
Mount: Orion Atlas equatorial
Guiding Camera: Orion Starshoot Autoguider ST-4, direct to mount.
Guiding software: PHD2
Imaging Camera: Orion Starshoot G4 Color & 0.8x focal reducer
Filters: Lumicon UHC light pollution filter
Image information:
40 x 75 seconds exposures (50 minutes integration time)

I recently completed all 110 objects in the Messier Catalog, so its time to start moving further out.

Yes, mistakes were made. It hadn't occurred to me I was going to need to make new flats shot through the light pollution filter. Color calibration was challenging to say the least.

This was a spur of the moment test shot. I'm setting my expectations for the fun I am in for as I head out into the cosmos further. This was a very faint object, magnitude 12 being imaged under urban skies with a full moon out. I used my Lumicon Ultra High Contrast narrowband filter to cut down on the background light. This was also shot with my refractor scope rather than my reflector scope, which would have drastically improved light gathering. Still, its pretty cool that under those conditions I managed to capture some nice detail in an object a light year in diameter from 2,800 light years away. Not too shabby considering these are probably Bortle 7 skies with the just about full moon out. I shot this after capturing footage of the lunar eclipse.

This will be great practice as I work my way out to the viewing limit of what I have. Wonder just how far I can go. Ive seen the math and thought "yeah, we'll just see about that".