Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) in Narrowband
The Helix Nebula is one of the closest planetary nebula to the Earth, at an estimated distance of about 650 light years. This then also makes it the largest planetary nebula in the night sky. Planetary nebula have nothing to do with planets, but are created when some stars, nearing the end of their stellar lifetime, begin to blow off layers of material. This object is low in the sky, even imaged from Southern AZ, but still makes for a interesting object, even with a 100mm refractor.
Equipment:
ZWO ASI1600MM-C Camera @ -20C and
Gain:200 Offset:50
Software Bisque MyT Mount
Stellarvue SVQ100 Astrograph Refractor, 580mm @ f/5.8
Innovations Foresight ONAG
Software:
Pixinsight Commercial Version 1.8
Lightroom CC
Photoshop CC
Innovations Foresight SkyGuard
Light Frames:
Ha: 41 x 300 secs ( 3 hrs 25 mins)
OIII: 37 x 300 secs (3 hrs 5 mins)
SII: 34 x 300 secs (2 hrs 50 mins)
Red: 11 x 30 secs (5 mins 30 secs)
Green: 12 x 30 secs (6 mins)
Blue: 12 x 30 secs (6 mins)
9 hrs 37 mins 30 secs total
Dark Frames:
10 x 60 secs, RGB (30 mins)
10 x 360 secs, Ha,OIII,SII (3 hrs)
Bias Frames
100
Flat Frames
20 each filter
More Info from Wikipedia:
The Helix Nebula (also known as NGC 7293 or Caldwell 63) is a planetary nebula (PN) located in the constellation Aquarius. Discovered by Karl Ludwig Harding, probably before 1824, this object is one of the closest to the Earth of all the bright planetary nebulae.[4] The distance, measured by the Gaia mission, is 655±13 light-years.[5] It is similar in appearance to the Cat's Eye Nebula and the Ring Nebula, whose size, age, and physical characteristics are similar to the Dumbbell Nebula, varying only in its relative proximity and the appearance from the equatorial viewing angle.[6] The Helix Nebula has sometimes been referred to as the "Eye of God" in pop culture,[7] as well as the "Eye of Sauron".[8][9]
