Observation by John Hughes: Melotte 15

Uploaded by

Mr John William Hughes

Observer

John Hughes

Observed

2021 Oct 20 - 01:00

Uploaded

2021 Oct 23 - 11:36

Objects

The Heart Nebula (IC1805)

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Constellation

Cassiopeia

Field centre

RA: 02^h33^m
Dec: +61°25'
Position angle: -45°29'

Field size

0°37' × 0°25'

Location

iTelescope, Nerpio, Spain

Target name

Melotte 15

Title

Melotte 15

About this image

Melotte 15 is an open star cluster located in the heart of the Heart Nebula (IC1805).

It is relatively ‘new' being some 1.5 million years young and the stellar wind from its stars have sculpted the dust clouds seen in this image.

Melotte 15 is approximately 7,500 light years away located in the constellation, Cassiopeia.

This image was captured in narrowband using Hydrogen alpha, Oxygen 3 and Sulphur 2 filters from the iTelescope remote observatory in Nerpio, Spain.

Although only 2 hours of data for each channel was captured, it required three separate nights as Nerpio is having just as much bad weather as we are here in the UK.

Equipment

12” Planewave Corrected Dall-Kirkham Astrograph.
SBIG-STXL-6303E camera
Paramount PME mount.

Whilst iTelescope provide calibration frames, this data needed a lot of help as the camera sensor had significant column defects. Fortunately PixInsight has two great scripts for identifying, locating and removing these defects and a bit of clone stamp finished the job.

Files associated with this observation

Mel_15_final.png (1.1 MB)

Like this image

Nik Szymanek, Callum Potter, Graham Winstanley

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