NGC7380 Wizard Nebula

Apart from the time I put into capturing the subs for this image......I think I have spent more time processing this one than any previous image. I have gone back to it time and time again. I try now to concentrate on bringing out details rather than making an image immediately appealing with fine bright colours.
I have put the full resolution up on the web site (though not actually the full image as captured).....I hope you get a chance to have a look: www.kinchastro.com/ngc-7380-wizard-nebula.html

All processing done in PixInsight.

Very fine image, Kinch.
And your stars are in very sharp focus too.

Aubrey.

Thanks Aubrey. Tightening up the stars is all part of the image processing.....but of course one must have 'good' stars to start with anyway.
Every image I do....I learn a bit more .....this time it was got to do with mixing the image data and in fact using a star mask that I had not tried before. The image mix here for those interested:
R = 0.8*SII + 0.2*Ha
G = 0.2*Ha + 0.8*OIII
B = OIII
Then in the final work Ha is added in again as a Lum layer.

The real fun was tweaking everything trying to bring out the detail within the nebula.

Hi Kinch.
I have figured out that you have a double star to the right of your nebula.
Its designation is STT 480.
The 2 stars are about 31 seconds apart.
They seem to "point" to the Wizard Nebula.

Clear skies,

Aubrey.

Wow Aubrey......you got that right I believe. I was trying to do a plate-solve on the image - see if I could show it on an annotated image but have not managed to do that yet.

I went looking for any reference to STT 480 and came across this from way back (I think 2008).... some guy went looking to see the nebula and...

I had a look at NGC 7380 with my 12x50s this evening. It is an open cluster in Cepheus, another object from Stephen O'Meara's Hidden Treasures. I was curious to know if I would be able to see the cluster at all from my urban backyard (4.5 NELM) with the binos. I couldn't.

BUT, I got a pleasant surprise, discovering that STT 480 is quite a fine double for the 12x50 SEs, just discernible from my backyard. It can be found right at the edge of 7380 and is one point of a triangular asterism which marks the location of the cluster. MegaStar lists the components as 7.6 and 8.5 with a separation of 31 arc seconds and a PA of 117. I could just split it with averted vision. The spectral class is listed as F8, consistent with the slightly creamy, off-white hue of the double star.

You were right on the button Aubrey.

OK Aubrey, I have what I was looking for and was able to annotate the relevant image section.

STT480 comprises of the two stars Tycho 3992-746 and Tycho 3992-942. I am not well up on this sort of thing and found it hard to get the same items from different catalogs to match them. Anyway - I was able to annotate the image with Tycho cat. Stars and you can see the two mentioned on the middle right side of the crop that I have done.
Your knowledge impresses me......perhaps you will be able to go out and see them soon (or "it" as you might refer to a double). Perhaps you already have!



Actually there is another double visible in this crop: 3992- 193 (or: WDS HJ 1810) and the star close above it which is actually 3992-294. There is 21" between them. mag 7.89 and mag 12.12.