A contrasting region of the Milky Way — with the bright emission nebula, the North America (aka NGC 7000), below the dark mass of the Funnel Cloud Nebula at top, aka LeGentil 3, an obvious naked-eye sight under a dark sky. To the right of the North America below bright Deneb is the less obvious dark region known as the Northern Coalsack. This is a stack of 10 x 3.5-minute exposures with the 135mm Canon L lens at f/2.5, on the old (2009-vintage!) Canon 5D Mark II camera at ISO 1600. The 5D II is a filter-modified camera from AstroHutech. The camera was on the Star Adventurer tracker. About 1/3 of the frames were slightly trailed. I used the best 10 for this stack. Light cloud or haze added the natural star glows, However I did have a NiSi Natural Night light pollution filter in place to further enhance the contrast and nebulosity. Faint nebulosity brought out with luminosity masks. A mild Orton Glow artistic effect added with Luminar AI. Taken from home September 7, 2021.
The North America Nebula (NGC 7000) with the Pelican Nebula (IC 5070) to the right, and the bright star Deneb at upper right, all in Cygnus. The sparse star cluster NGC 6996 is embedded in the North America in "eastern Canada." The dark nebulas B353 and B352 (most prominent at top) are above the North America. This is a stack of 12 x 5-minute exposures with the Sharpstar 94EDPH at f/4.5 and the Canon R5 at ISO 800, taken as a test of the R5 for deep-sky imaging. The R5 is a stock camera, not filter-modified. Auto-guided with the Lacerta MGEN3 guider. Stacked, aligned and blended with Photoshop. Taken May 22, 2022, with the sky brightening with dawn twilight toward the end of the set. No filters were employed.
The North America Nebula (NGC 7000) and associated nebulosity and star clusters, near the bright blue-white star Deneb in Cygnus. This is with the Series 6000 Meade 70mm f/5 astrographic refractor (for a 350mm focal length), taken on May 15, 2018. This is a stack of 8 x 5-minute exposures with the filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 1600, with a ninth exposure blended in to add the glow around Deneb from the high haze passing through during that exposure, to add the colour contrast between the blue star and red nebula. All stacking in Photoshop.
