M27 Dumbbell Nebula in Hydrogen Alpha, Oxygen III and Blue light

click on image to enlarge

click on image to enlarge (a slightly different color mix, intended to match ESO's image)

ESO Image (Not taken by me)

My image details:

Taken on September 1, 3, 5, 11 and 12, 2003 from my backyard in Castro Valley, Ca.

Celestron C14 imaging scope @ f/11 (F=3910mm)

Finger Lakes Instrumentation IMG1024S imaging camera @-30C

RCOS Optical Systems Dichroic Beam Splitter

SBIG ST7E Guide camera controlling 

SBIG AO7 Adaptive Optics System

Astro-Physics AP1200GTO mount

Finger Lakes Instrumentation CFW1 Color Filter wheel

Custom Scientific Narrowband Emission Line Filters

   Hydrogen alpha        656.3nm  3nm FWHM

   [Oxygen III]                 500.7nm  3nm FWHM

Plus OPTEC IR-Blocking Blue filter

23 exposures of 15 minutes each through Ha (5.75 hours)

13 exposures of 15 minutes each through [OIII] ( 3.25 hours)

12 exposures of 5 minutes each through Blue (1 hour)

total exposure time 10 hours

Maxim DL 3.20 used for image acquisition, calibration, DDP, color combination

CCDSOFT 5.00.071 used for guiding/AO7 control

SIGMA Prebeta 11 used for darks, flats and image stacking

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