Rising from the Flames - Seagull and Thor's Helmet Widefield - IC2177 & IC468

Image Title: Rising from the Flames - Seagull and Thor's Helmet Widefield - IC2177 & IC468

Copyright: Example Copyright: Simone Curzi

Date image was taken: February 05, 2025

Location: Acquaviva Picena, Italy, Bortle 5.

Data Acquisition Method: Personal Telescope Setup

Image Description and Details: I continue my experimentation with narrowband astrophotography on wide fields. This time, I captured the Seagull and Thor’s Helmet nebulae, located in the Monoceros constellation, an extremely star-rich region.

For the color palette, I combined the results of two dynamic formulas for mixing oxygen (OIII), hydrogen (Ha), and sulfur (SII), then integrated a synthetic luminance obtained using the same approach as for chrominance.

In the process of merging the RGB stars with the narrowband image, after several attempts, I opted to keep the stars soft and slightly reduced, applying a formula that preserves a gentle halo.
I hope you enjoy the final result.
Clear and dark skies to all!
Simone

Equipment Details: Telescope
William Optics RedCat 51 II
Camera
ZWO ASI6200MM Pro
Mount
Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ6 PRO
Filters
Antlia EDGE H-alpha 4.5nm 2"
Antlia EDGE OIII 4.5 nm 2"
Antlia EDGE SII 4.5 nm 2"
Antlia V-Pro Blue 2"
Antlia V-Pro Green 2"
Antlia V-Pro Red 2"
Software
Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight
Ha 60*600"
Oiii 60*600"
Sii 60*600"
RGB 20*3*180
Total 33H

Name: Simone curzi

Website or Facebook Profile: http://www.instagram.com/simone_curzi_skylover/