NGC 1499 - CALIFORNIA NEBULA 

BRIGHT EMISSION AND REFLECTION NEBULA IN PERSEUS

 (Image Centred at ra 04h:00m / dec +36:37)

IMAGE ACQUISITION BY JIM MISTI

CLICK THE IMAGE FOR A HIGHER RESOLUTION VIEW

Misti Mountain Observatory, Arizona, USA

DATA

Type: Diffuse Nebula

Apparent Magnitude: N/A 

Apparent diameter: 160 x 40 arc minutes 

Distance: 1.000 light years

IMAGE INFORMATION

Optics: Takahashi 106 N (Courtesy of Steve Mazlin)

CAMERA: SBIG STL 11.000  

SKY CONDITIONS: Dark Skies

EXPOSURES: LHaRGB (90,30,30,30,30)

OBJECT DESCRIPTION AND IMAGE SESSION

The California Nebula aka NGC 1499 was discovered by E.E. Barnard in about 1884-5, just in time to have it added in Dreyer's NGC. Under very dark skies, it can just be glimpsed with the naked eye. Because of its low surface brightness, it is not much easier when visually observed in telescopes. Instead, this nebula is a great target for astrophotographers. From the southern observers it is only 20 degrees above the horizon when the nebula reaches the maximum altitude.

This object is very hard to image from our latitudes. It requires very dark locations and its transit is very short.  Another good opportunity of processing this image which was nicely offered by Jim Misti in his website. 

Thanks Jim !!