Lorenzo Comolli's Astronomy HomePage

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These nebulas are really hard objects from my latitudes (+46°N), but they transit at zenith from Namibia, such as in this image. This makes a really huge difference in the result (see as a reference my previous image from Italy, exactly same telescope and camera, the only difference is the sky, the altitude on the horizon and the longer exposure).
The nebula at lower-left is NGC 6334 (Sh2-8, Ced 140) and really resembles a Cat's Paw-print. The nebula at top-right is NGC 6357 (Sh2-11, Ced 142).
Behind those object lies a dark lane of Milky Way with its star clouds and dark nebulas.

Technical data
Optics	Pentax 75 apo refractor
Focal Length	500 mm
Focal Ratio	f/6.7
Exposure Time	3h50min (single exp of 10 min)
CCD	Canon EOS 5D with Baader filter
Sensitivity	800 ISO
Location	Tivoli Farm (Namibia) at 1350 m height
Date	26 August 2011
Mount	Kenko NES
Tracking	Lodestar with a small refractor (F.L. 100 mm, aperture 23 mm)
Temperature and humidity	T= +3°C, RH=44%
Sky brightness at zenith (with SQM-L)	21.6 mag/arcsec^2 (MW at zenith)
Notes	North at right. This image is a collaborative effort of the Namibia 2011 expedition. Processing: Lorenzo Comolli. Images by: Lorenzo Comolli, Luigi Fontana, Giosuè Ghioldi, Emmanuele Sordini.