Unveiling the Crescent Nebula: 11 Hours Across 2 Nights

Unveiling the Crescent Nebula: 11 Hours Across 2 Nights

Hello all! Here is my recent image of NGC 6888, the Crescent Nebula in Cygnus, captured over 2 clear nights for a total of 11 hours of integration (~300 sub-exposures).

Using an Askar 106 APO, QHY533 monochrome camera, and Sky-Watcher Wave 150i harmonic drive mount, I shot through Ha and OIII filters to cut through ambient glow and reveal the delicate surrounding gas structures.

Processed entirely in PixInsight, I first stacked the data as RGB to extract natural star colors, separated the emission lines into a clean HOO palette for the nebula, and swapped out the narrowband stars for the true-color RGB version at the end.

I definitely should have framed it better…I accidentally cut the faint, OIII soap bubble in half, though you can just catch the edge of it in the top right. Still, it's cool to see that outer envelope driven by central Wolf-Rayet star WR 136 before it eventually goes super

Equipment Setup

• Optics: Askar 106 APO Telescope

• Camera & Filters: QHY533 Monochrome Camera paired with an electronic filter wheel (Ha and OIII filters)

• Mount: Sky-Watcher Wave 150i Harmonic Drive Mount

Acquisition & Data

• Total Exposure Time: 11 Hours

• Sub-exposures: ~300 individual frames total across both channels

• Capture Duration: 2 night sessions