The above image is a reprocessing of the data in March 2020 - the bottom image is from 2018
A closer look - slightly different colouring: November 2022
Above is NGC 281 Pacman Nebula - as processed in 2018
NGC 281, IC 11 or Sh2-184 is a bright emission nebula and part of an H II region in the northern constellation of Cassiopeia and is part of the Milky Way's Perseus Spiral Arm. This 20×30 arcmin sized nebulosity is also associated with open cluster IC 1590, several Bok globules and the multiple star, B 1. It collectively forms Sh2-184, spanning over a larger area of 40 arcmin. A recent distance from radio parallaxes of water masers at 22 GHz made during 2014 is estimated it lies 2.82±0.20 kpc. (9200 light years.) from us. Colloquially, NGC 281 is also known as the Pacman Nebula for its resemblance to the video game character.
E. E. Barnard discovered this nebula in August 1883, who described it as "a large faint nebula, very diffuse." Multiple star 'B 1' or β 1 was later discovered by S. W. Burnham, whose bright component is identified as the highly luminous O6 spectral class star, HD 5005 or HIP 4121. It consists of an 8th-magnitude primary with four companions at distances between 1.4 and 15.7 arcsec. There has been no appreciable change in this quintuple system since the first measures were made in 1875.
Imaging telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FSQ130ED
Imaging cameras: QSI 6120
Mounts: Takahashi EM 400 Temma 2M
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FS60CB
Guiding cameras: QHY CCD QHY 5 II
Focal Extender / Reducer: None
Software: PHD 2, Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight, Sequence Generator Pro SGP (for capture)
Filters: Astrodon Ha (3nm), Astrodon OIII (3nm) & Astrodon SII (3nm), Astrodon RGB
Accessories: Robofocus Focuser, ATIK EFW3
Original Resolution: 4184 x 2812
Dates: 5th Sep to 17th Sep. '18
Frames:
Astrodon Ha 21 x 20'
Astrodon OIII 21 x 20'
Astrodon SII 21 x 20'
RGB 18 x 10'
Total Time: 24 Hours.
Center (RA, Dec):(13.156, 56.665)
Center (RA, hms):00h 52m 37.369s
Center (Dec, dms):+56° 39' 55.370"
Size:68.6 x 46.1 arcmin
Radius:0.689 deg
Pixel scale:0.984 arcsec/pixel
Orientation:Up is 352 degrees E of N
E. E. Barnard discovered this nebula in August 1883, who described it as "a large faint nebula, very diffuse." Multiple star 'B 1' or β 1 was later discovered by S. W. Burnham, whose bright component is identified as the highly luminous O6 spectral class star, HD 5005 or HIP 4121. It consists of an 8th-magnitude primary with four companions at distances between 1.4 and 15.7 arcsec. There has been no appreciable change in this quintuple system since the first measures were made in 1875.
Imaging telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FSQ130ED
Imaging cameras: QSI 6120
Mounts: Takahashi EM 400 Temma 2M
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FS60CB
Guiding cameras: QHY CCD QHY 5 II
Focal Extender / Reducer: None
Software: PHD 2, Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight, Sequence Generator Pro SGP (for capture)
Filters: Astrodon Ha (3nm), Astrodon OIII (3nm) & Astrodon SII (3nm), Astrodon RGB
Accessories: Robofocus Focuser, ATIK EFW3
Original Resolution: 4184 x 2812
Dates: 5th Sep to 17th Sep. '18
Frames:
Astrodon Ha 21 x 20'
Astrodon OIII 21 x 20'
Astrodon SII 21 x 20'
RGB 18 x 10'
Total Time: 24 Hours.
Center (RA, Dec):(13.156, 56.665)
Center (RA, hms):00h 52m 37.369s
Center (Dec, dms):+56° 39' 55.370"
Size:68.6 x 46.1 arcmin
Radius:0.689 deg
Pixel scale:0.984 arcsec/pixel
Orientation:Up is 352 degrees E of N
Ha,SII & OIII Stacked Subs
Sky Map
Annotated Image
