The Skull Nebula (NGC 2237) – Regular vs Starless

by tinmar_g

1 Comment

  1. Hello! Here is my take on NGC 2237, the Rosette Nebula, also known as the Skull Nebula 💀

    If you’re interested, you can find more of my work on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/tinmar_g/)

    I couldn’t decide between the regular and starless versions, so I ended up combining both into a single image.

    This was my first real attempt with a proper deep-sky setup, and I’m honestly quite happy with the result. The Rosette has always been on my list, so it feels great to finally capture it. I shot this about 10 days ago, though conditions weren’t ideal as it was low in the sky and I only had a short window to set up and shoot.

    I recently upgraded to a Star Adventurer GTI mount with GoTo, which is a complete game changer compared to the classic Star Adventurer. I also added guiding, an ASIAIR Plus, and used my Redcat 51 for this shot. I had a few issues with the gears at first, but in the end I’ve never had such round stars at this focal length.

    I captured 55 exposures at ISO 800 with 120s each, for a total integration time of 1h50. I also attempted some Ha shots but only got about 10 usable frames, which wasn’t enough to bring meaningful data, so I decided not to include them.

    Also shot the usual calibration frames (DOF).

    Processing:

    Stacked with Siril
    Background Extraction, Histogram Transformation
    StarXTerminator (for the starless version)
    NoiseXTerminator for noise reduction£
    BlurXTerminator for slight sharpening
    Final color work and enhancements in Photoshop

    The full field with the Redcat (250mm) is much wider, but I cropped it to focus on the main structure.

    Any feedback or advice is very welcome!

    —-

    Equipment:
    Canon 6D modded – Star Adventurer GTI – Redcat 51

    Settings:
    55 x 120s – ISO 800 – F4.9