The Cocoon Nebula - IC5146
ST-10XME and CFW8a, Astrodon HaRGB filter set
Takahashi FSQ F/5 Fluorite Refractor w Robofocus
8 x 10 min Luminance, 6 x 5 min RGB all self-guided on an AP900QMD
mount
Acquired, Flats and Darks subtracted in CCDSoft5
Alignment and Sigma Reject combine in Maxim
Colour combines done in PS CS2 per Rob Gendler's approach
Levels and curves in PS CS2
Minor sharpening via High Pass filter on the Luminance using Layer
Masking in PS CS2
No noise reduction
Click on the image to see it at 2x this size.
This popular target for astro-imagers is shown here in a very widefield depiction. Note the dust lane running down and to the right from the nebula. IC5146 is actually the designation of the open cluster associated with the nebula but the stars of the open cluster, embedded in the nebula, are very faint so difficult to see at this image scale. The dark lane mentioned above is designated B168.
Flesherton, Ontario
August 5/6 2006