This is a wide shot encompassing the constellation of Cassiopeia the Queen in the northern autumn sky, showing the variety of colours in the starclouds and nebulas that populate this section of the Milky Way. The colours are brought out by the long exposure used and by contrast enhancements in processing. But yes, they are real! This is not false colour. The pink emission nebulas of the Heart and Soul Nebulas (IC 1848 and IC 1805 respectively), at left, and the NGC 7822/Ced 214 complex, at top, dominate. The small pink patch at bottom is the Pacman Nebula, NGC 281. At upper right are the faint nebulas around the star cluster M52, including the Bubble Nebula, NGC 7635. The purple glows near the star Gamma Cassiopeiae, aka Navi, at centre are the reflection nebulas IC 59 and IC 63. Lots of star clusters populate the area, including the Double Cluster in Perseus at lower left, and NGC 7789, Caroline's Rose, at right. NGC 663 and NGC 457 are the star clusters below the left side of the W that marks Cassiopeia. This is a stack of 14 x 2-minute exposures with the Canon RF 28-70mm lens at 62mm and f/2.5 on the Canon EOS Ra at ISO 1600, and on the Star Adventurer Mini tracker. The lens had a URTH Night filter on it to reduce light pollution and airglow discolouration. Taken from home October 1, 2021 on a night with some loss of transparency due to haze. Nebulosity was brought out with the aid of luminosity and colour range masks created with Lumenzia. An additional exposure through an Alyn Wallace/Kase Starglow filter layered in adds the subtle star glows to make the "W" stars pop. All stacking, alignment and blending done in Photoshop.
The region in the tail of Scorpius around the Cat’s Paw Nebula, NGC 6334, centred, with NGC 6357 above at the top and the tiny planetary, the Bug Nebula, NGC 6302, at bottom right. Shaula or Lambda Scorpii, is the brightest star at lower left, along with Lesath, the stars marking the stinger in the tail of Scorpius. This is a stack of 5 x 6-minute exposures with the Borg 77mm f/4 astrograph and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII taken from the Tibuc Cottage, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia.
The bright Cygnus Starcloud (at right) and collection of red emission nebulas in central Cygnus, including the North America Nebula (NGC 7000) at left near the bright star Deneb. The dark Northern Coalsack is to the right of the North America Nebula. The IC 1318 emission nebula complex is at centre. The star cluster NGC 6819, aka The Foxhead, is at far right. The cluster NGC 6866, aka The Kite, is to the left of 6819. At top right is the cluster NGC 6811. This is a stack of 4 x 2-minute exposures at f/2.8 with the Rokinon 85mm RF lens on the Canon EOS Ra camera at ISO 1600, and through the Kase Neutral Night broadband filter, with an additional exposure layered in taken through a Kase/Alyn Wallace StarGlow filter for the glows. Taken from the Alberta Star Party site on September 3, 2021, with the camera on the Star Adventurer Mini tracker. Stacked, aligned and blended in Photoshop. Luminosity mask adjustments applied with Lumenzia and Zone System Express v7.
