Above: Final Image with 55 Hours exposure: Below: Initial rendition with 39 Hours exposure.
SH2-216 is a beautiful but extremely faint planetary nebula found very close to the bright star Capella. Estimated to be ~500,000 years old, it has spread out and diffused over a very large area to become the second largest known planetary nebula. Only Hewett-1 discovered in the early 2000's is known to be larger. The estimated distance from Earth is ~390 light years making Sh2-216 the closest known to Earth as well.
Imaging telescope: Takahashi FSQ130ED
Imaging camera: ASI 2600MM
Mount: JTW Trident P75
Guiding telescope: Takahashi FS60CB
Guiding camera: QHY 5 II
Focal Extender / Reducer: 0.73X
Software: Sequence Generator Pro SGP (for capture) PHD 2 (guiding), Astro Pixel Processor, PixInsight.
Filters: Astrodon Ha (3nm), OIII (3nm) and SII (3nm). Astrodon RGB.
Accessories: Robofocus Focuser controlled by Lunatico Armadillo, ATIK EFW 3, RB Focus Gaius, RB Focus Excalibur.
Dates: 21st Nov. - 21st Dec. 2024
Frames: (Total)
Astrodon Ha 120 x 600"
Astrodon OIII 90 x 600"
Astrodon SII 102 x 600"
Astrodon RGB 3x60x60"
Total integration = 55 Hours.
Center (RA, Dec): (70.384, 46.595)
Center (RA, hms): 04h 41m 32.174s
Center (Dec, dms): +46° 35' 42.278"
Size: 2.72 x 1.82 deg
Radius: 1.636 deg
Pixel scale: 1.63 arcsec/pixel
Orientation: Up is 1.6 degrees E of N
Imaging telescope: Takahashi FSQ130ED
Imaging camera: ASI 2600MM
Mount: JTW Trident P75
Guiding telescope: Takahashi FS60CB
Guiding camera: QHY 5 II
Focal Extender / Reducer: 0.73X
Software: Sequence Generator Pro SGP (for capture) PHD 2 (guiding), Astro Pixel Processor, PixInsight.
Filters: Astrodon Ha (3nm), OIII (3nm) and SII (3nm). Astrodon RGB.
Accessories: Robofocus Focuser controlled by Lunatico Armadillo, ATIK EFW 3, RB Focus Gaius, RB Focus Excalibur.
Dates: 21st Nov. - 21st Dec. 2024
Frames: (Total)
Astrodon Ha 120 x 600"
Astrodon OIII 90 x 600"
Astrodon SII 102 x 600"
Astrodon RGB 3x60x60"
Total integration = 55 Hours.
Center (RA, Dec): (70.384, 46.595)
Center (RA, hms): 04h 41m 32.174s
Center (Dec, dms): +46° 35' 42.278"
Size: 2.72 x 1.82 deg
Radius: 1.636 deg
Pixel scale: 1.63 arcsec/pixel
Orientation: Up is 1.6 degrees E of N
Sky Map & Finding Chart
SII, Ha & OIII in the image:
Annotated Image:
