IC 2177, the Seagull Nebula |
 |
| IC 2177, or the Seagull Nebula, is another
object that I first heard about while perusing The Backyard
Astronomer's Guide. Technically, IC 2177 is the designation for just the seagull's "wings". The "head" has its own designation, NGC 2327 (aka Gum 1 or Sharpless 292, among others). Other objects are classified and designated within this field of view. Enough to show that this is a very rich section of sky! IC 2177 lies in the constellation Monoceros, though its actual location puts it very close to Canis Major (where Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, lies). This is about as far south as I can reasonably hope to image from my current location. I have not tried to view IC 2177 visually, as it is a large, faint and diffuse object. |
| Constellation: Monoceros |
| When Visible: January - April |
| Distance: 3,800 light-years |
| Date: January 2007 |
| Location: West Chester, Ohio |
| Exposure Details: H-alpha: 6 x 30 Minutes Binned 1x1 |
| Equipment Used:
Takahashi FSQ-106N on a Takahashi EM200 Temma-PC mount. SBIG
STL-6303 camera with 5-position filter wheel and Astrodon
narrowband filters. Externally guided with an SBIG Remote Guide Head on a Borg 76ED refractor. |
| Acquisition Software: MaximDL, TheSky6, CCDAutopilot |
| Processing Software: MaximDL, Photoshop CS, IrFanView |