Wide-field image of IC1318 in Cygnus


The bright star projected at bottom centre of this image is the supergiant Gamma Cygni (aka Sadr). It is located only 750 light years away and so is not directly associated with the vast emission clouds of the Cygnus complex which are much more distant at 5,000 light years. Above Gamma Cygni and shaped like two luminous wings divided by a long dark dust lane is the nebula complex IC1318 commonly referred to as the Butterfly Nebula.

This image was obtained with my TS60ED F/4.3 APO refractor and illustrates what a great instrument it is for acquiring deep wide-field images of extended objects.

Right ascension: 20h 27m 13.1s | Declination: +40° 09' 27.8" | Distance: 5,000 Light Years
Field of view: 234 x 176 arcmin

Camera: QSI 583wsg
Optics: TS Photoline TS60ED F/4.3 APO with Photoline x0.79 reducer
Guiding: Off-axis with Lodestar guider
Filters: Baader Ha (7nm), OIII (8.5nm)
Exposures: Ha 21 x 20 min, OIII 21 x 20min
Total exposure: 14 hours
Image composition: Cannistra Modified Bicolour Narrowband Technique
Scale: 4.2 arcsec/pixel
Image acquired: Over seven nights between 30th July and 18th September 2015

Image capture with MaxIm DL, FocusMax, ACP; Image processed with MaxIm DL and Photoshop CC 2014