(Click on image for full size version)
| Description: | Also known as the Crab nebula, this is the
remnant of a supernova that was observed in 1054. Near the center of
the object is a neutron star, 30 Km in diameter and approximately the mass
of our sun that is thought to rotate at 30 times per
second! This star is the lower right of the double star visible in
the center. |
| Exposure Data: | 11/13,14/2002. LRGB: 16x10m, 8x7m, 8x7m,
8x10m, RGB 2x2. -15°C,
1.0 arc-sec./pixel. |
| Processing: | Acquired via script with Maxim, reduced and aligned, gradient correction in
Mira, L: 3xCCDSharp, RGB combined 1.0:0.9:1.05 in Maxim, LLRGB assembly,
curves, levels, USM other processing in Photoshop. |
| Optical System: | 10” Ritchey-Chretien @ F/7.3, ST-8E USB NABG/CFW-8A
CCD camera, auto-guided, Paramount ME mount. |
| Comments: | Seeing was 3.0 arc-sec. The colors were carefully calibrated
with a G2 star. All linear processing was used (no curves) in an
attempt to bring out the central region color. LLRGB combine was used
to maximize color SNR. L layering was used to minimize the star halos
in the nebula region. Finally, the central region was reduced in level
and increased in saturation. Here is the link to the
more neutral version. |