Natural color composition from the emission of ionized elements, R=80%Hydrogen+20%Sulfur, G=100%Oxygen and B=85%Oxygen+15%Hydrogen to compensate otherwise missing H-beta emission. This composition is very close to a visual spectrum.



The "Little Dumbbell", Messier catalog number 76, also known as NGC 650/651, the "Barbell Nebula or the "Cork Nebula". This bipolar planetary nebula locates in constellation Perseus.

Distance is about 2500 light years and average dimension is 1.23 light years across.

Smallish apparent dimensions, 2,7 x 1,8 arcmin, makes this target difficult to image.



Technical details:

Processing work flow:

Image acquisition, MaxiDL v5.07.

Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack.

Deconvolution with a CCDSharp, 30 iterations.

Levels, curves and color combine in PS CS3.



Telescope, Meade LX200 GPS 12" @ f5

Camera, QHY9 Guiding, SXV-AO @ 3,5Hz

Image Scale, 0,75 arcseconds/pixel

Exposures H-alpha 12x1200s, binned 1x1

O-III 7x1200s, binned 1x1

S-II 2x1200s, binned 2x2