Ha-RGB Image

The Supergiant star Gamma Cygni lies at the center of the Northern Cross which makes up the constellation Cygnus the Swan. Known by the proper name Sadr, the bright star also lies at the center-right of this gorgeous skyscape, featuring a complex of stars, dust clouds, and glowing nebulae.

The field of view includes the emission nebula IC 1318- shaped like two glowing red cosmic wings divided by a long dark dust lane, IC 1318's popular name is understandably the Butterfly Nebula. Above and right of Gamma Cyg, are the young, still tightly grouped stars of NGC 6910. Some distance estimates for Gamma Cyg place it at around 1,800 light-years while estimates for IC 1318 and NGC 6910 range from 2,000 to 5,000 light-years.

Imaging Data

Date: 8-24-2014 and 8-25-2014 for RGB, 8-29-14 for Ha Data

Location : Sudbury, Massachusetts

Optics : Televue-85 with .8X Reducer-Flattener

Filter(s) : Astronomik CLS-CCD and Astronomik 12nm Ha

Mount : Astrophysics Mach-1 GTO

Autoguiding : CoSTAR through Stellarvue 60mm Finderscope and PHD Guiding Software

Camera : Canon EOS 1000D Astro-modified

Exposure info : 51 x 120 sec @ISO 800 RGB Data

                           33 x 480 sec at ISO 1600 HA Data

Total Exposure : 6.1 Hours ( 4.4 HA + 1.7 RGB)

Processing:  Pixinsight

Ha Image

RGB Image