NGC1579

NGC 1579 (also known as the Northern Trifid Nebula) is a diffuse nebula located in the Perseus constellation. It is about 2,100 light years away and three light years across. A powerful young star ionizes hydrogen gas, causing it to emit the red light. The blue color is produced by dust reflecting the nearby star's light.

Exposure  • 12⅛ hours (clear: 67 X 10 minutes; Hα: 6 X 10 minutes) @ -20°C
 • Dusk flats
 • Camera position angle: 0°
Processing  • With PixInsight:
   ☞ Calibrate, star-align, and integrate subframes
   ☞ Background neutralization
   ☞ Histogram transformation
   ☞ Curve transformation
 • Noise reduction with Topaz DeNoise AI
 • Final tweaking and sizing in Photoshop CS6
Date and Location  • 2021: Jan. 20, Feb. 3, Mar. 3, & Mar. 4
 • Louisa County, Virginia, USA
Equipment
 • TMB-130SS APO refractor @ f/7 on an A-P 1200 mount
 • ZWO ASI-1600MC Pro color camera
 • Guided with an ST-402 camera on a 60mm f/5 scope
 • Imaging and autoguiding with MaxIm DL 6.20
 • Automated image acquisition with ACP Observatory Control


Updated May 23, 2023