Cocoon Nebula/IC5146: This is an emission (red) and reflection (blue) nebula in Cygnus, with low surface brightness, visually integrated with an open star cluster of about 20 stars. The Cocoon Nebula is about 4000 light years away.

Technical Information:

LRGB: 97:36:36:60 (L unbinned-comprised of 20x4, 1x5, 2x6; RGB binned 2x2; R and G 6 six minute images and B 6 ten minute images).

Equipment: 10" LX200 at f/4.6, and an SBIG ST-7E camera/CFW-8 color filter wheel

Image Acquisition/Camera Control: CCDSoft V5.

Processing: All images calibrated (darks only) and registered in AIP4WIN. Luminance images add combined in CCDSoft; RGB median combined in AIP4WIN. Color combine, and adjustment of curves and levels, performed in Photoshop 5.5.

Location: My back yard in Bellevue, Washington, elevation 600'.

Date: Luminance images taken during the night of 8/17/01; RGB taken during the night of 8/13/01.

CCD Temperature: -15C