With a tribute to warmer weather, Paul Owen won the Photo of the Week title on January 22, 2021, with his image of the California Nebula.
The emission nebula, also known as NGC 1499, is located in the constellation Perseus and lieds about 1,000 light-years away from Earth.
“Thought I would start the new year off with a tribute to California,” said Owen, who lives in Hampton, New Brunswick. “If we take a 1,000-light-year trip out in space, things may look a little better … as this emission nebula is outstanding and showing off all it’s beauty for all on Earth to see.”
Keeping with the theme, Erich Krause took the honourable mention this week with his image of the California Nebula.
Krause said he shot his image around January 15, 2021, from the countryside east of Didsbury, Alberta. Using a ZWO ASI1600MM Pro with a Sky-Watcher Esprit 80ED APO Triplet (f/3.25) and an apex reducer, he grabbed 9.5 hours in exposure. The subs were:
- Hydrogen-alpha: 20 × 600 seconds
- Sulfur II: 7 × 600 seconds
- Oxygen III: 15 × 1,200 seconds
“I tried to get the oxygen (blue) with 20-minute subs from the city but no luck,” Krause wrote. “Travelling to the countryside to Bortle 2 skies did the job.”
Keep your eyes on the skies — and on the prize! Prizes for the 2020-21 SkyNews Photo of the Week contest are sponsored by Sky-Watcher, Celestron, iOptron and The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. Click here for more details on the prize packages that will be awarded to the best photos this year.
