The Ring Nebula (also catalogued as Messier 57, M57 and NGC 6720) is a planetary nebula in the northern constellation of Lyra. This nebula was formed when a star, during the last stages of its evolution before becoming a white dwarf, expels a vast luminous envelope of ionized gas into the surrounding interstellar space.
Object Designations: Messier 57 or NGC 6720
Also known as: Ring Nebula
Constellation: Canes Venatici
Object Type: Galaxy
Distance: 787 light-years away
Magnitude: 8.8
Discovery: Charles Messier in 1779
This final image is:
65 – 4 minute subs at 100 gain – no filter over 5 hours of integration
I processed the images using Pixinsight using:
Blink to clear out low quality images
Weighted Batch Balance
SpectroPhotometricCalibration
AutomaticBackgroundExtractor
BlurExterminator
NoiseExterminator
EZProcessing Suite Softstretch (img version 1)
GeneralizedHyperbolicStrectch (img version 2)
ColorCalibration on both versions
StarXTerminator
Curves on both versions using other version as mask
Pixmath with ezimg_stars+(.3img2)+(.6img1) to put stars back with both images.
I do two images because each stretch makes a different image to work with. I have learned sometimes only one image is needed. Sometimes the image pops with both.
