M27 · DUMBBELL NEBULA AUG 2025
§ DEEP-SKY · TARGET
M27
Dumbbell Nebula
- TYPE
- Planetary nebula
- CONSTELLATION
- Vulpecula
- DISTANCE
- 1,360 ly
- MAGNITUDE
- +7.5
- APPARENT SIZE
- 8' × 6'
ACQUISITION
DATE
Aug 2025
LOCATION
Anza-Borrego, CA · Bortle 2
INTEGRATION
5h 00m
PALETTE
HOO
SUBS
300 × 60s
SEEING
1.9"
FILTERS
Ha 3nm · OIII 3nm
A dying star's expelled envelope, lit from within by a white dwarf. The OIII shell extends well beyond the bright dumbbell shape in deep exposures.
§ 01 · THE NIGHT
How this one came together
Same trip as the Cygnus Wall run. Pointed here while waiting for Cygnus to clear the meridian. The OIII signal was immediate -- planetary nebulae are bright in OIII and this one practically exposed itself.
§ 02 · PROCESSING
Workflow
- HOO bicolor with OIII-dominant palette
- Central star preserved via star mask
- Faint outer halo stretched separately and blended
§ 03 · GEAR
Equipment
- SCOPE
- Printed 200/800 Newt · OTA v1.3
- CAMERA
- ASI2600MM Pro · -10°C
- MOUNT
- EQ6-R Pro
- FILTERS
- Antlia Ha 3nm · Antlia OIII 3nm
- GUIDING
- OAG · ASI120MM Mini