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Tom Arrington | all galleries >> Tom's Astrophotos >> 2009 > The Iris Nebual - NGC7023
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15-NOV-2009

The Iris Nebual - NGC7023

The Iris Nebula, also NGC 7023 and Caldwell 4, is a bright reflection nebula and Caldwell object in the constellation Cepheus. NGC 7023 is actually the cluster within the nebula, LBN 487, and the nebula is lit by a magnitude +7 star, SAO 19158.[1] It shines at magnitude +6.8. It is located near the Mira-type variable star T Cephei, and near the bright magnitude +3.23 variable star Beta Cephei (Alphirk). It lies 1,300 light-years away and is six light-years across. (Wikipedia)

I took this photo on a week night after work. The weather has been cloudy for most of the past 6 weeks and this was the only opportunity during this moonless phase. The seeing was poor, I usually don't image with seeing this poor. I could only get two hours worth of images. This photo is the best 1 hour 36 minutes from the 2 hours I captured.

Photo details:
Telescope: William Optics FLT 110 Lite @f7.0
Camera: Canon Rebel XT Modified
Mount: Celestron CGE guided with PHD and a Meade DSI
Exposures: 16 x 360 seconds Lights, 7 Darks, 15 Flats
Processing: Deep Sky Stacker for Calbration, and 2x Drizzle stacking
PhotoShop CS3 for post processing. Noise Ninja, Gradient Xterminator, Carboni's tools


other sizes: small medium large original auto
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