NGC 1952 – Crab Nebula

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NGC1952



OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Above are two images of the Crab Nebula both from the same data.  This is LRGB data totaling about 3 hours taken with the RC.  One is ‘deeper’, but is probably overprocessed – still interesting. There is no H-alpha data in these.  The detail is good enough to compare to the images by the 42-inch Lowell scope as shown on page 1847 of Volume III of Burnham’s.  I reproduced the bottom half of Burnham’s page 1847 and matched it to my image showing the continuation of the Crab expansion (see yellow circles on mosaic).  It appears to me that the rate of expansion may be slowing based on the time between exposures.  I did 3 hours of H-alpha imaging also but there isn’t as much H-a radiation as I thought.  Notice the galaxies in the background of the Crab.  I remember when I was thrilled just to visually detect the Crab Nebula!  At the bottom is an image of our family friend, Karla, assessing the Crab Nebula data we had captured during her stay in Chiefland Astronomy Village.