Melotte 15 - Heart of the Heart Nebula

[Paramount]

Hi All
I did this the other night after I finished the data for my M27 image, I have wanted to have a go at this section of the Heart Nebula with the H9 and BRC-250 as my two previous attempts at this target have been with the TMB 115 and H36 which gives a much wider field. This combination that I am currently using gives a very close in detailed shot of the tight knotted nebula structure in the middle of IC1805 and is associated with the open cluster Melotte 15. This was taken with 12x10 minutes with an Astronomik 13nm Ha filter. The Paramount was guided using the TMB 115 and Starlight Xpress M8C using dithering. As this subject becomes visible earlier in the night (blocked by a neighbours tree until 2am at the moment) I will revisit it and do much longer for Ha and also add the other emission lines OIII and SII.
Although an unfair comparison, the other two images, one in Ha and one in HST palette can be seen in the Nebulae section of the image gallery on my website http://www.imagingtheheavens.co.uk (http://www.imagingtheheavens.co.uk/)
Thanks for looking
Best wishes
Gordon

http://www.imagingtheheavens.co.uk/USERIMAGES/IC1805heartv.jpg

[Alchemy]

nice composition there gordon, so many objects that you get to image that i am not completely familiar with, the ones we get here i have done and seen everyone elses so many times you know what to expect,

the impression of england i have is grey and cloudy, seems like you do get clear skies after all.
whats light pollution and the area in general like where you live?

cheers clive

[Paramount]

Hi Clive
Thanks for the comments, well your impression of England being grey and cloudy is about an accurate description as any I have heard, we do have our moments but the best weather I have experienced since I started imaging has been two clear nights on the trot.
The area where I live is just off a major road that runs through the city and my backyard where I do all my imaging from is surrounded on all sides by one form of light pollution or another. I have my house on one one side where I try to keep all the light off but my girlfriend arrives home from work at 12.30am and invariably switches on the kitchen light for about half an hour before she goes to bed. Then on the left and right of my backyard our neighbours bedroom lights and outdoor security lights come on periodically during the night and also within 50 yards of my house on 3 sides there are street lights. The only side of my backyard that is free from houses is plagued by bright lights from an outdoor tennis court which is on till 11pm in the winter months. Now you can see why I do mainly narrowband:D
Best wishes
Gordon

[Alchemy]

yikes, you are so up against it. i grumble about my neighbours floodlights, but at least i can still clearly see the band of the milky way from my backdoor. not too many houses here either.

[Paramount]

Hi Clive
The only time that I can see the band of the milky way from my place is on a dark clear winter night and if there is a power cut. Failing this I wait till I go to one of the star parties on the other side of the country but as I don't drive taking my equipment is out of the question. I have had some nights where light pollution and sky glow is so bad that I can only just make out all the major stars in Orion
Best wishes
Gordon

[multiweb]

Very cool object. Looks like a small bonzai tree. :thumbsup: