1680 x 1050

NGC 1499 - California Nebula
Object Type: Emission nebula
Constellation: Perseus
Magnitude:
Size: 145' x 40'

The California Nebula gets its name from its resemblance to the USA's most populous state and is located 1000 light-years from the solar system. It is believed to be illuminated by the star Xi Persei, the 4th-magnitude star at the bottom right of the image. Although large in size, the California Nebula has a low surface brightness which makes it difficult to detect visually. Using an H-Beta filter is helpful when attempting to see it.

Equipment: Vixen 102-ED/TS Optics field flattener/STL-11000M/Astrodon LRGB filters/Paramount ME
F-ratio: f/6.5
Exposures: RRGB: R 10 x 20 minutes: G 10 x 5 minutes: B 10 x 5 minutes: GB binned 2x2
Date: December 18. 2009
Location: Landers, California, USA
Technical Notes: Individual exposures were dithered using CCDAutoPilot2 and sigma combined. The RGB image was created in Registar 1.0. The RGB image was duplicated and combined with the original using Soft Light at a opacity of 33% to enhance color.