13th November 2004
Object name: M 1
Popular name: Crab Nebula
Object type: Supernova remnant
Magnitude: 8.4
Size: 6.0'x4.0'
Apparent RA: 5h 34m 50s
Apparent Dec: +22° 1' 11"
Constellation: Taurus
200mm F5 newtonian @F5 , SC3.5 toucam RAW mode. IRB + RGB filter.
80mm F5 refractor @ F10 guidescope with SC1 toucam and GuideDog
Final image of the evening. We starting imaging at 18:00 and ended about 03:00. This is an LRGB composite of the Crab Nebula. 160x15s with IR filter for the L layer. 30x20 Red, 30x15 green and 30x15 blue. Stacked in registax and curves and channel mixing in photoshop.
See here for last years effort.
I think I need more frames on the colours, and possibly more of them. This being only the second LRGB image with the BW SC3 camera. I have decided the tricky part is getting the background to stay black.
I have made various attempts at processing this object here. I have concentrated on multiple luminescence layering on the RGB to enhance colours. Towards the bottom the saturation has been dropped. Most pleasing is image 5 where some of the faint outer regions of the nebula have been added back into the processed version.
Location: Curdridge, Southampton, UK. 51N 15W.