Photo of the Week for June 29, 2019
Each season has its roster of deep-sky favourites for observers and astrophotographers alike. With the summer Milky Way running the full length of Cygnus, it’s not surprising this constellation is rich with celestial treasures. One of the best known is the North America Nebula (catalogued as NGC7000), most of which is displayed in the photo above. Particularly conspicuous is the region of nebulosity that resembles the west coast of Central America and Mexico—a feature informally dubbed the Cygnus Wall. Also prominent is the dark void corresponding to the Gulf of Mexico.
This narrowband image of the North America Nebula was captured by Ottawa, Ontario, astrophotographer Yat Sze. Yat employed a ZWO ASI 1600MM Pro camera, and a William Optics Z81 APO 80mm refractor telescope (at f/5.6 with a 0.8× flattener) to capture over 16 hours of exposure data shot through H-alpha, OIII, and SII filters.
