Astrophotography by Keith B. Quattrocchi 

                   IC 1318b (Butterfly Nebula): Central Region                 
Emission Nebula in Cygnus
Narrow Band Image

Copyright 2008
Keith B Quattrocchi

 Image Acquisition Information                      
 
Telescope: 16" RCOS Richey Chretien Telescope (ion milled at 6/9) 
Camera: SBIG STL-6303 M
Guiding: SBIG AOL, Astrodon  MOAG AOG (SBIG 237 with FLR)
Filters: Astrodon Ha, SII, OIII
Mount: Software Bisque Paramount ME
Acquisition Programs:   The Sky,CCDAutopliot III, CCD Soft. 
Processing Programs: CCDStack, Maxim DL, Photoshop
Date: June 14-June 18, 2008                               
Time: 18x20 min ( 6 hours) each for each of Ha, SII and OIII:
Total of 18 hours imaging time.                              
Processing:  CCD Stack and PhotoShop CS/3
 
Image Infornmation:  IC 1318 is a large emission nebula surrounding Sadr, within  Cygnus the Swan.  The northern section, also known as the Butterfly nebula (IC 1318b) has a dark nebulosity which bisects it (this image was taken near this region).  IC 1318b  It is primarily made up of ionized hydrogen but there is a significant SII component.  The nebula is believed to be about 4000 light years distant.  This image, spanning about about 15 arc-min, and located near the dark nebulosity, is just a small part of this large, 1.5 degree, nebula (IC 1318a, b and c).

Additional Comments:  Image processing with CCDStack, producing a Narrow Band  image using the Hubble Palatte.  The Narrow Band image was created by equally weighting the SII, Ha and OIII images and assembling in CCDStack.  Further data stretching, high pass filtering and background smoothing was performed with Adobe Photoshop CS/3.