260912 - W63 "Blue Flame" SNR
ASTRO:
type=Supernova Remnant
mag=(unk)
const=Cygnus
dist=10,000 ly
size=250 ly
IMAGE:
location=Marathon Motel SkyPark, Marathon, Texas, USA
BrtlCls=1
moon=1% WxCr
exposure=CMOS OSC: 52x300s (4.3h), G100
color palette=HOO
EQUIPMENT:
optics=ES102CF APO / Stellarvue 0.8x rdcr, FL(eff.)=571mm, f(eff.)/5.6
camera=ZWO ASI2600MC=Pro
filter=Optolong L-eXtreme DNB
mount=Celestron AVX EQ
guiding=Orion 60x240mm, ZWO ASI224MC
SOFTWARE:
acquisition=Stellarium, NINA, PHD2
processing=PixInsight (RCAstro), Photoshop (Lumenzia, APF-R, WebSharp-Pro)
click image to enlarge
Every piece of art has a background story, but few take "background" as literally as Westerhout 63. Known affectionately to deep-sky enthusiasts as the "Blue Flame" nebula, this celestial phantom is located in the bustling constellation of Cygnus, the "Swan". What appears to the eye as an ethereal sapphire flame flickering against a dramatic red curtain is actually a cosmic optical illusion. The deep red backdrop of ionized hydrogen gas is a completely unrelated structure floating at an entirely different depth of space, making the Blue Flame a beautiful celestial photobomber.
The nebula itself is a massive supernova remnant: the skeletal remains of a colossal stellar explosion that occurred between 14,000 and 21,000 years ago. It was first detected in 1958 by Dutch-American astronomer, Dr. Gart Westerhout. Using the 25-meter radio telescope at the Dwingeloo Radio Observatory, Dr. Westerhout managed to map this invisible radio source right through the notoriously cloudy Dutch skies, proving that if you cannot change the weather, you can simply change the wavelength.
While Dr. Westerhout saw it in radio waves, capturing the optical beauty on display here is an exercise in patience. The delicate, gossamer filaments of the "flame" emit light primarily through doubly ionized oxygen (known as the OIII wavelength of light), which is notoriously faint. Astrophotographers frequently spend upwards of 15 to 26 hours of continuous exposure time just to coax these stubborn blue photons out of the dark. It turns out that capturing a dying star’s last breath requires roughly the same amount of time it takes to fly from New York to Singapore.
Science still struggles to pin down the exact distance of this cosmic relic. Its distance from Earth remains something of a "complicated", indefinite status, with estimates stretching anywhere from 3,000 to 12,000 light-years away. But whether it is near or far, Westerhout 63 stands as a stunning monument to stellar mortality: a violent, ancient explosion reinterpreted through the lens of time into a serene, glowing masterpiece of oxygen and light.
IMAGER'S COMMENTS:
Once again, and reminiscent of what this imager discovered on the Giant Squid nebula, testaments of extensive imaging time required to capture this faint object abound across astro-social media and astrophotography websites. And like the Giant Squid, those reports appear to be completely blind to the light-gathering capabilities of a OSC camera with a 7nm, dual narrow band (DNB) Hα-OIII filter. While the dark skies of Marathon, TX were certainly a contributor to this successful capture, the above report of 15 to 26 hours required imaging time seems to encapsulate the expected norm. But that approach is definitely misplaced with OSC.
This image was captured with only 4.3h total integration time (...one evening's imaging effort). Pixel-Math combination of the Blue and Green photographic channels results in an "effective" integration of 8.6h of OIII, while simultaneously capturing just 4.3h of Ha. The rest of the difference is credited to the higher transmittance of the wider band-width 7nm DNB filter, as opposed to the much more restrictive 3nm band-width commonly used with mono cameras.
Chalk up another one for OSC!
IMAGER'S COMMENTS:
Once again, and reminiscent of what this imager discovered on the Giant Squid nebula, testaments of extensive imaging time required to capture this faint object abound across astro-social media and astrophotography websites. And like the Giant Squid, those reports appear to be completely blind to the light-gathering capabilities of a OSC camera with a 7nm, dual narrow band (DNB) Hα-OIII filter. While the dark skies of Marathon, TX were certainly a contributor to this successful capture, the above report of 15 to 26 hours required imaging time seems to encapsulate the expected norm. But that approach is definitely misplaced with OSC.
This image was captured with only 4.3h total integration time (...one evening's imaging effort). Pixel-Math combination of the Blue and Green photographic channels results in an "effective" integration of 8.6h of OIII, while simultaneously capturing just 4.3h of Ha. The rest of the difference is credited to the higher transmittance of the wider band-width 7nm DNB filter, as opposed to the much more restrictive 3nm band-width commonly used with mono cameras.
Chalk up another one for OSC!