Staying up all night in the silent dark can be ominous but it can also be majestic wondrous awe inspiring. Even though these photos represent something material something measurable in the name of science ionized hydrogen Sulphur and oxygen. they also represent something other worldly out of time something that flows like music through your fingertips or through the mind of emotion. like water sparkling in a river or a waterfall or subtle wind through the trees. Point is! When I look up I don't just see numbers or just a happening from point A to point B I see a spectacular Show an almost creation from the heart. something deep and something that we are all part of connected to and yet separate. This nebula Just one part of all that we can witness in the night sky was created through traveling photons that took roughly 9000 years to get to my camera. Captured over nights focused around the new moon (The real dark nights) Arranged in the SHO palette to bring out the differentiation and depth between the gasses and of course to bring out the sweet blues and golds. Enjoy!       


What WiKi Says(The Numbers and interesting facts).
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 ly.) from us. Colloquially, NGC 281 is also known as the Pacman Nebula for its resemblance to the video game character.

21 hours total integration
86x300s SII
86x300s HA
86x300s OIII
Scope: ASKAR 130 PHQ (1000mm Focal length)
Guide scope: ASKAR OAG
Mount: Ioptron CEM70
Main Camera: ZWO 2600mm pro
Guide Camera: ZWO 174mm mini
Focuser: ZWO EAF
Filter wheel: ZWO EFW
Filters: Optilong 7nm SII HA and OIII
Capture Computer: MELE Quieter 3
Capture software: NINA
EDITING PIXINSIGHT