Canon 30D Unmodified
11x240sec at iso 1600
30 Darks/Flats/Bias
Astronomik CLS filter, custom WB
Celestron 8 at 1260mm


NGC 6543, the "Cat's Eye Nebula" is one of the most structurally complex nebulae known, as discovered by photos from the Hubble Space Telescope. The bright core measuring 20 arc seconds is easily visible and sometimes is mistaken for a star, however the extended halo ejected during the central star's red giant phase is very difficult to detect and extends over 386 arc seconds (6.4 arc minutes). Part of that halo can be seen above the central core in this photograph and actually has it's own designation, IC 4677.

NGC 6552, a 14th magnitude galaxy can be seen at the bottom of the field.

May 23, 2007