The California Nebula project continues

17:36 22/11/2009 UTC

Finally after almost a month sky cleared again and what a night! SQM gave almost record readings for my site and sky was pitch black without moonlight. OIII is sensitive to moonlight, so this was the time to shoot it for my California Nebula project. There was quite a nice set of data and I managed to catch some of the elusive OIII emission and even hints of some features in it.

NGC/IC Object List:
NGC1499 gaseous nebula RA:04h03m14.4 Dec:+36°21m'33" BMag: 5.0, LBN 756 California Nebula

[High Resolution : 2004x1998 @ 3.18 arcsec/pixel]

Camera: Atik Instruments 4000LE | Telescope: Skywatcher ED80 Pro 80mm f7.5 refractor, William Optics 0.8x focal reducer | Mount: Vixen GP-D2, Boxdoerfer PowerFlex MTS-3SLP drive controller | Filters: Baader H-alpha 7nm 2", Baader OIII 8.5nm 2" | Guiding: The Imaging Source DMK 21AU04.AS CCD camera, Orion ShortTube 80mm f5 refractor, Stark-Labs PHD Guiding | Exposure: Ha 10x900s (2h30m) unbinned, CCD @ -30° f6, OIII 16x900s (4h) unbinned, CCD @ -30° f6 | Software: CCDWare CCDStack, Adobe Photoshop CS4, Stark-Labs Nebulosity 2 | Location: 60°31'N 26°52'E (Koivula/Kotka,FI) | Background sky brightness (SQM): 20.10 mag/arcsec² | Image Field: 1.772 x 1.767 degrees | Image Center: Ra 04h01m31s Dec +36°22'39" | Target altitude in the beginning of the exposure 41°