This is a framing of the rich complex of nebulosity in and around the constellations of northern Cygnus and southern Cepheus, in a blend of "white light" images and images shot through a deep red hydrogen-alpha filter that isolates the red emission line from the gas clouds, bringing them out in much more detail than is otherwise possible. The North America Nebula (NGC 7000) and adjacent Pelican Nebula (IC 5070) are below centre beside blue Deneb. The Gamma Cygni complex, IC 1318, is at lower right. The main nebula at top left is IC 1396 in Cepheus. The Cocoon Nebula lies at the end of the long dark strreak, B168, left of centre. The wispy streak at bottom left is Sharpless 2-126, aka the Great Lacerta Nebula, though it does not look too great here! It is one of many faint arcs and patches of emission nebulosity that litter the field. The dark area below Deneb is the Northern Coal Sack. The darker region above Deneb is the Funnel Cloud Nebula, aka LeGentil 3. The bright area at lower right in the Milky Way is the Cygnus Starcloud, a region less obscured by dark interstellar dust. This is a blend of: a stack of 14 x 5-minute exposures at f/2 and ISO 3200 with the Canon Ra equipped with a clip-in Astronomik 12nm H-alpha filter, plus a stack of 6 x 2-minute exposures at f/2.8 and ISO 1600, with the latter shot through a front-mounted URTH broadband filter to help block skyglow and gradients. All with the Canon RF 28-70mm lens at 50mm and on the Star Adventurer tracker for tracked but unguided shots taken from home October 2, 2022 on a very clear and mild night. Dew spoiled the last of the white light images, thus I used only the first 6 for the stack. The dew added the natural star glows. The initial H-alpha shots were taken with the waxing crecent Moon still up. All stacking, alignment and blending in Photoshop. Luminosity masks applied with Lumenzia. The H-alpha stack was layered in with a Screen blend mode and with its own adjustment layers and masks, and colorized with a Hue-Saturation layer. The H-alpha data was not added by replacing the red channel, as that provides no control of the blend of the H-alpha image. A mild and masked Orton Glow effect added with Luminar AI.
The Cygnus and Lyra area of the northern summer Milky Way, including the original Kepler FIeld. Deneb is at left, Vega at right. This is a stack of 5 x 10 minute exposures with the Sigma 50mm lens at f/2.8 and filter-modified Canon 5D Mark II at ISO 800. Taken as test of the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer tracking platform.
Cygnus area, with Canon 20Da and 24mm lens at f/2.8 for 6 minutes at ISO 400. Tracked on AP 600 mount but not guided. Taken from home on a superb night, Sept. 30, 2008.
