Ha Narrow Band Image

IC 63 and IC 59 are two nebulae associated with the extremely bright star Gamma Cassiopeia or “navi.”   The top image represents a narrow band image captured through a hydrogen alpha filter only, the broadband reflection component (Blue in the RGB image) is not seen. Instead we capture the emission component in the Hydrogen alpha line which lies in the red portion of the spectrum.  The monochrome- gray scale image is the true Ha image.  The next image is a combination of Ha and visual wavelength RGB  data.  The Ha data has been blended into mainly the red channel.  The RGB data is poor in this image as it was shot near the time of the full moon.  In order to bring out the nebula excessive stretching has resulted in bloated stars.

IC 59, centered just 20' north of γ Cas, is very faint, diffuse, and elongated N-S. It is primarily a reflection nebula, appearing blue in photographs because it scatters starlight.  It appears larger but fainter than IC 63 which has a ghostly appearance. Together, IC 59 and IC 63 are designated as Sharpless 2-185.  About 600 light years away, the intense bath of radiation from Gamma Cassiopeia is evaporating its two nearby neighbors. The leading edges of IC 59 and IC 63 glow strongly, hinting that these clouds will soon be blown away into the interstellar medium.

Imaging Data

Date: 10-7-11 and 10-8-11

Location : Sudbury, Massachusetts

Optics : Astrotech 111 apo Refractor with .8X Reducer-Flattener

Filter(s) : Astronomik Ha-EOS Clip in Filter and CLS-CCD Filter for RGB Data

Mount : Astrophysics Mach1 GTO Mount

Autoguiding : Stellarvue 60mm Finderscope with Meade DSI

Camera : Canon EOS 1000D Astro-modified

Exposure info : 28 x 600 sec Exposures at ISO1600 for Ha Data

                           48 x 240 sec Exposures at ISO 1600 for RGB Data

Total Exposure : 4.7 Hours HA and 3.2 Hours RGB, Total Exposure = 7.9 Hours

Processing:  Pixinsight and Photoshop

Ha RGB Image