The Devil's Tower - RCW 85

[Andy01]

Hidden in plain sight between the Pointers, Rigel Kentaurus and Hadar, is this intriguing nebula known as RCW 85.

John Ebersole (https://www.astrobin.com/full/d2r6vm/0/) brought this object to my attention first, and as far as I can tell mine is only the 3rd image of this target.

Resembling the famous Devils' Tower from Close Encounters, and dim as as coal mine on a dark night, this is Ha rich, has some S2 and purportedly O3, (but after an entire night at Binx4, I still couldn't get a signal!).
The guys at Cielaustal (http://www.cielaustral.com/galerie/photo117.htm) in Chile did though, but it took them 100+ hrs exposure with a 20" CDK!

So, much as I would like to have made a tricolour NB image from my bortle 7 backyard, this HaRGB (https://www.astrobin.com/full/an39cg/0/) will have to suffice :)

Galaxy Map says - "The infrared star group [DBS2003] 88 is embedded in RCW 85 according to Dutra and colleagues. According to the Georgelins, RCW 83 and RCW 85 are the brightest parts of a diffuse region to the galactic east of the Cen OB1 association and that may be an extension of it. Contains the infrared star group [DBS2003] 88.

So maybe a target for someone with an IR filter?

[PKay]

Nice one Andy, lighting up the coalmine.

Will have a crack at this one, for sure...

And take your lead and forget about the O3.

Great result as per usual :thumbsup:

[gregbradley]

That's a great find Andy.

Nicely done. Thanks for finding new things as you say new targets add some excitement into the game.

Greg.

[AUST2000]

Well done again Andy. Looks like a difficult target but you have excelled again.

[Andy01]

Thanks Pete, have fun mining, don’t forget your canary! :lol:



Cheers Greg, was really wanting a tricolour NB image, and I had high hopes for the binx4 O3 idea, but sadly it wasn’t to be. :sadeyes:
Happy enough with this, time to move on now. :thumbsup:



Thanks for dropping in Andrew, appreciate the sentiments! :thumbsup:

[vlazg]

Very nice Andy , gotta love RGB.
A slightly greenish tinge in some of the stars though.
Great find.