California Nebula NGC 1499

• Connection to Category: The California Nebula is an emission nebula about 1,000 light years from Earth in the Constellation Perseus. It glows primarily in the red band of the visual spectrum because that is the color of ionized hydrogen. The nebula is lit up from the radiation from a single star, Xi Persei, which is 30 times more massive and 12,700 times brighter than our Sun. NGC 1499 is an exceptionally large nebula from our perspective. Its length (about 10 light years) covers the apparent diameter of 4 Full Moons lined up end to end. Its shape resembles the state of California.
• City: Angel Fire
• State (Province/Region): New Mexico
• Country: USA
• Camera body used: ZWO Seestar S50
• Filter(s): UV/IR cut filter
• Lens or telescope used: 50mm Apochromatic lens; Seestar S50
• Mount: ZWO TH10
• Number of frames: 1,688
• Total exposure (integration) time: 28 hours 8 minutes
• ISO or gain: 0 to 29.4 dB
• Software: PixInsight