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Object: NGC 6543 Cat's Eye Nebula- Constellation Draco

Description: The Cat's Eye Nebula (formally NGC 6543) can be found in the constellation of Draco. This "planetary nebula" is between 3300 to 5000 light years distant. This image is a "picture in a picture" with the small bright inner core (inset) imaged separately from the large but very dim, outer halo. The inner core is approximately 20 arc seconds across and 1000 years old and the outer halo approximately 300 arc seconds across and 90,000 years old. (Credit: Wikipedia) Also in the field of view is a small, barred spiral ring galaxy on the image's left margin, NGC 6552.

Distance: 3,300 to 5000 light years

Date Imaged: June 2 to July 14, 2020

Date Image Processed: October 2020

Telescope: 16 inch Ritchey Chretian Telescope

Image Train: FLI PDF Focuser, Pyxis Rotator

Focal Length: 3250 mm

Camera: SBIG STT 8300M, FW8-Guider, Operating at -30 deg C sensor temperature

Resolution: 0.34 arcsec/pixel

Exposures: 75.2 hours total duration

Main Image

52 Luminance - 10 Minute Images binned 1x1

32 Red - 10 Minute Images binned 1x1

31 Green - 10 Minute Images binned 1x1

31 Blue - 10 Minute Images binned 1x1

31 H-Alpha (6nm) - 30 Minute Images binned 1x1

30 O-III (6nm) - 30 Minute Images binned 1x1

35 S-II (6nm) - 30 Minute Images binned 1x1

 

Core Image

11 Luminance - 2 Minute Images binned 1x1

11 Red - 2 Minute Images binned 1x1

12 Green - 2 Minute Images binned 1x1

11 Blue - 2 Minute Images binned 1x1

29 H-Alpha (6nm) - 5 Minute Images binned 1x1

32 O-III (6nm) - 5 Minute Images binned 1x1

 

 

 

 

 

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