IC 2177, the Seagull Nebula |
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| 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). 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: February 2013 |
| Location: Rancho Hidalgo, Animas, NM |
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Exposure Details: H-alpha: 17 x 30 minutes Binned 1x1 L: 8 x 10 minutes Binned 1x1 R: 12 x 10 minutes Binned 1x1 G: 12x 10 minutes Binned 1x1 B: 12 x 10 minutes Binned 1x1 15 Hours 50 minutes total exposure time. |
| Equipment Used: Takahashi FSQ-106N on an Astro-Physics AP1200GTO mount. SBIG STL-11000 camera with 5-position filter wheel and Astrodon filters. Robofocus focuser. Externally guided with an SBIG Remote Guide Head on a Borg 50Ach refractor. |
| Acquisition Software: MaximDL, TheSky6, CCDAutopilot |
| Processing Software: MaximDL, Photoshop CS5, IrFanView |
| An H-alpha-only version taken from our backyard in Ohio back in 2007 can be seen here. 6 x 30 Minutes H-alpha exposures binned 1x1. 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. |