Focal Pointe Observatory
Astrophotography by Bob Franke

Home
Recent Images
Galaxies
Nebulae
   Natural Color
   Narrow Band
   H-Alpha
Clusters
Comets
Solar System
Observatory
Equipment
My Freeware
Tips & Tricks
Published Images
Local Weather
Terrestrial

 

Send Email

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

\

 

 

 

IC 405 The Flaming Star Nebula

 

Click the image for a larger view.
 

Instrument

Takahashi FSQ-106ED @ f/5.0 (530 mm F.L.) Captured at 2.1 arcsec/pixel.  Shown at 4.2 and 9.38 arcsec/pixel.

Mount

Losmandy G11 with Gemini L4 v1.0

Camera

SBIG STF-8300M Self Guiding Package w/ mono ST-i, using AstroDon SII, Ha and OIII filters.

Acquisition Data

11/10/2013 to 1/29/2014 Chino Valley, AZ... with CCDAutoPilot5 & CCDSoft.

Exposure

 Ha 360 min. (24 x 15 min. bin 1x1)

Click here for the narrow band color mapped image.

Click here for LRGB color image.

Software & Processing Notes

  • CCDSoft, CCDStack, Photoshop CS6, PixInsight and Noel Carboni's actions.

  • CCDStack to calibrate the sub exposures.

  • PixInsight for registration and stacking the sub exposures and the initial non-linear stretching.

  • PhotoShop for the final touch-up.

  • Noiseware 5, a PhotoShop plug-in.

Comment

The nebula is shown with North to the top.

 

IC 405 (also known as the Flaming Star Nebula, SH 2-229, or Caldwell 31) is an emission/reflection nebula in the constellation Auriga, about 1,500 light-years from Earth. The rippling dust and gas lanes surround the star AE Aurigae and give the impression that the star is aflame... hence the nebula's popular name. The star, AE Aurigae, creates the red glow, shown here in B&W, by energizing the nebula's hydrogen.