This is a pair of colourful nebulas in Cassiopeia. The Pacman Nebula, NGC 281, is at bottom near the stars Alpha Cassiopeiae, aka Schedar (or Schedir) at right, and eta Cas, aka Achird (above NGC 281). At top are the largely blue or magenta reflection nebulas IC 59 and IC 63 adjacent to the blue star Gamma Cassiopeiae, aka Navi. The tiny blue dot of the planetary nebula Abell 2 is just right of Achird. North is at top in the porttrait format image. This is a stack of 8 x 8-minute exposures through the Borg 77mm f/4 astrograph and with the Canon EOS Ra red-sensitive mirrorless camera, at ISO 800. Stacked, aligned and processed in Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop 2020. No nebula or light pollution reduction filter was employed in taking the images. I shot this from home November 25, 2019 on a very fine if frosty autumn night. The Dew Destroyer heater coil from David Lane wrapped around the front objective nicely kept off the frost.
NGC 281, aka the Pacman Nebula, in Cassiopeia, near the stars Achird (top) and Shedar (right). This is a stack of 8 x 6-minute exposures at ISO 1600 with the Canon EOS Ra camera and Astro-Physics Traveler apo refractor at f/6 with the Hotech field flattener. No LENR used here as the temperature was -15° C. A smudge on the field flattener lens added the spike on Achrid at top. High haze added the star glows naturally.
The Pacman Nebula, NGC 281, in Cassiopeia, near the star Alpha Cass, aka Shedar, at right This is a stack of 10 x 6 minute exposures with the filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800 through the TMB 92mm apo refractor at f/4.4 with the Borg. 0.85x field flattener/reducer. Taken from New Mexico, Nov 18, 2014.
