The Bat Nebula (NGC6995)

NGC 6995, also known as the Bat Nebula, is a captivating emission nebula located in the constellation Cygnus. This celestial wonder is named after its distinctive shape, which resembles the outstretched wings of a bat in flight. The Bat Nebula spans across a vast area in space, measuring approximately 100 light-years in diameter.

What makes NGC 6995 truly mesmerizing is its intricate and delicate structures. Composed of glowing gas, including hydrogen and ionized oxygen, the nebula emits vibrant hues of red, pink, and blue, creating a stunning visual display. The gas is excited by the intense radiation from nearby young, massive stars, causing it to glow and create this ethereal spectacle.

In addition to the glowing gas, the Bat Nebula is also surrounded by dark clouds of interstellar dust, which add to its mysterious and eerie appearance. These dust clouds absorb and scatter the light from the glowing gas, creating dark regions that contrast with the colorful gas clouds, further enhancing the unique shape of the nebula.

This image is a result of integrating more that 27 hours of adquisition time using narrow band and RGB filters on a CFF250 Ritchey Chretien telescope.
NGC6995b ho 20230218- v15 wm 21

Equipment
Imaging Telescopes Or Lenses
CFF Telescopes Ritchey-Chretien 250mm f/8
Imaging Cameras
QHYCCD QHY268 M ×
Mounts
Mesu-Optics 200 MK II
Filters
Astrodon Gen2 E-Series Tru-Balance Blue 36 mm · Astrodon Gen2 E-Series Tru-Balance Green 36 mm · Astrodon Gen2 E-Series Tru-Balance Red 36 mm · Astrodon H-alpha 5nm 36 mm · Astrodon OIII 5nm 36 mm
Accessories
MoonLite NiteCrawler 3.0″ · Pegasus Astro Ultimate Powerbox 2 · QHYCCD QHYCFW3-M-US × · QHYCCD QHYOAG-M × · Talon 6 · TS-Optics 0.8x RC Reducer (TSRCRed) ×
Software
Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight · Starkeeper Voyager Custom Array
Guiding Cameras
ZWO ASI174MM Mini
Acquisition details
Dates:
Sept. 17, 2022 · Oct. 30, 2022 · Nov. 1, 2022 · Nov. 19, 2022 · Nov. 25, 2022
Frames:
Astrodon Gen2 E-Series Tru-Balance Blue 36 mm: 60×120″(2h)
Astrodon Gen2 E-Series Tru-Balance Green 36 mm: 60×120″(2h)
Astrodon Gen2 E-Series Tru-Balance Red 36 mm: 60×120″(2h)
Astrodon H-alpha 5nm 36 mm: 65×600″(10h 50′)
Astrodon OIII 5nm 36 mm: 65×600″(10h 50′)
Integration:
27h 40′
Avg. Moon age:
12.30 days
Avg. Moon phase:
32.50%
RA center: 20h56m52s.22

DEC center: +31°11′51″.5

Pixel scale: 1.462 arcsec/pixel

Orientation: 92.260 degrees

Field radius: 0.489 degrees

WCS transformation: linear

Resolution: 1995×1340

File size: 3.9 MB

Locations: AAS Montsec, Àger, Lleida, Spain

Data source: Own remote observatory

Remote source: Non-commercial independent facility

via Flickr https://flic.kr/p/2oAxe9m