Astro-Physics 160 EDF Refractor at f/7.5

Astro-Physics 1200 GTO

SBIG ST-10XME

Tru-Balance 6nm Hydrogen-alpha filter

28 September 2006

Mount Wilson Observatory - Mount Wilson, CA

Ha 8 x 600 sec 1x1 bin

Maxim DL/CCD, Registar, Photoshop CS2

Field of View: 36'11" x 28'33" centered on RA 00h53m36s
DEC+56°37'27" (2000.0) . North angle 269.3°; east 90° CCW from north

NGC 281, the Pac-Man Nebula in Cassiopeia, is an often imaged target of amateur astronomers. Lying at a distance of about 9500 light years from Earth, this spectacular emission nebula is noted for its deep, dark gash of obscuring dust and numerous Bok globules. At the center lies the small open cluster IC 1590, its massive young stars providing the illumination for the nebula. The brightest of these stars is a multiple system named BU 1 for its discoverer, the famed double star astronomer S.W. Burnham.

Not satisfied with a previous image of this object taken with a Takahashi FSQ-106 and ST-10XME, I reshot NGC 281 with my AP 160 EDF refractor and the same camera. The difference in results was amazing, as would be expected with the larger refractor.