Capture summary
Nebula in Perseus
December 4, 20 & 26, 2022; January 15, 16, 20 & 28, 2023; February 3, 2023 / Moon 43%
Chroma H-alpha 5nm Bandpass 36 mm, Chroma OIII 5nm Bandpass 36 mm, Chroma SII 5nm Bandpass 36 mm
Winter target / wide composition
- H-alpha 5h 25m 65 x 300s / 4 days / Moon 61%
- SII 10h 120 x 300s / 4 days in Jan 2023 / Moon 33%
- OIII 6h 72 x 300s / 20 Dec 2022 / Moon 12%
- Totals 21h 25m December 4, 20 & 26, 2022; January 15, 16, 20 & 28, 2023; February 3, 2023 / Moon 43%
The California Nebula is one of those targets that rewards a wide field. Its long hydrogen arc sits near Perseus like a glowing coastline, with darker dust and denser star fields giving the shape its scale.
This image uses a narrowband Ha/OIII palette to pull structure out of the emission while keeping the target quiet and spacious. The result is less about a single bright core and more about the sweep of gas across the frame.
Acquisition Data
Technical capture details from the public AstroBin record for this image. View on AstroBin.
- H-alpha: 65 x 300s, 5h 25m, 4 days, Moon 61%
- SII: 120 x 300s, 10h, 4 days in Jan 2023, Moon 33%
- OIII: 72 x 300s, 6h, 20 Dec 2022, Moon 12%
- Totals: 21h 25m, December 4, 20 & 26, 2022; January 15, 16, 20 & 28, 2023; February 3, 2023, Moon 43%
Equipment and Software
- Telescope: Explore Scientific ED APO 127mm f/7.5 FCD-100 CF HEX
- Camera: ZWO ASI2600MM Pro
- Mount: iOptron CEM60
- Filters: Chroma H-alpha 5nm Bandpass 36 mm, Chroma OIII 5nm Bandpass 36 mm, Chroma SII 5nm Bandpass 36 mm
- Software: Adobe Photoshop, Sequence Generator Pro, PixInsight
Target Planner
Nebula in Perseus; best planned for December through February from New Jersey.
Winter targets reward clear, steady nights and usually climb well by late evening.
Assumes a New Jersey backyard horizon and evening imaging.
Emission nebulae are good candidates for narrowband filters; reflection nebulae prefer darker skies.
NGC 1499 is listed here in Perseus.
Current frame: Narrowband / Ha, OIII.
Calculating target altitude and moon context.
Use the full planner to enter a ZIP code, choose a date, and compare the target from your sky.
Based on the current time.
Green marks usable dark-sky altitude.
Next upper transit.
Approximate horizon crossing.
Moon phase and altitude.
