It has been quite a while since the night sky cooperated and gave me a cloudless landscape to allow a 2 hours opportunity for capturing photons 🙂. I welcomed this photo op with excitement because this is the time of the year when the rich nebulae and dark lanes along the Milky Way galactic core dominate the night sky in the Northern Hemisphere.
I decided to use my wide-field telescope to investigate the goodies lurking in and around the Cygnus Loop. This beauty is located in the constellation of Cygnus (the Swan) on the Cygnus arm of the Milky Way core. The Cygnus Loop is comprised of filamentary supernova remnants that occurred about 8,000 years ago. It is located some 1,500 light years away from Earth, and it includes popular targets such the Eastern Veil Nebula (NGC 6992), Pickering’s Triangle (NGC 6979), and the Western Veil Nebula (NGC 6960). The wide-field view also shows the rich hydrogen-alpha regions around this target (red areas). You can find more technical information on the Cygnus Loop here.
As you continue to research this target, remember to take some time to look up and experience an amazing Universe.
Gear: AA Hypercam 26C, Askar FMA180, HEM27 mount, Optolong L-Ultimate; Optolong CLS; SvBony 120mm + ZWO 120mc
Exif: 28 x 5-min lights; Gain 200, Offset 3, TEC @ 10 degrees
Software: SharpCap, PHD2; AstroPixelProcessor, PixInsight; Photoshop