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NGC1499 / California Nebula

Classification: Emission Nebula / NGC1499 / Sh2-220 / LBN756
Constellation: Perseus (PER)
Object Location: Ra 04h 04m 15s Dec +36° 23’56° (current)
Size & Distance: Apx, 160.0 x 60.0 Apx 1000 light years.

Date & Location: 09-23-2011 Little Blair Valley, CA.
Exposure: HaRGB, Ha 16 @ 15min. (bin 1x1) RGB 6ea. @ 5min. (bin 2x2)
Optics: Takahashi Epsilon-210 f3 630mm. w/ FLI-PDF focuser.
Mount: Astro-Physics 900 GTO / ATS 10x36 pier
Camera: SBIG-STL6303E @-15c Guided by TV60 / SBIG-RGH
Filters: Astrodon 5nm Ha. Astrodon Gen2 RGB
Software: MaxImDL 4.56, Photoshop CS5, Topaz Labs.

Notes: Sky conditions: Average seeing, Light wind, Temp 66°
Image Field of view is 100 x 150 arc-min.
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The California Nebula (NGC 1499) is an emission nebula located in the constellation Perseus. It’s named because it appears to resemble the outline of California on long exposures. It is almost 2.5° long on the sky and, because of its very low surface brightness, it is extremely difficult to observe visually. It lies at a distance of about 1,000 light years from Earth. Its fluorescence is due to excitation of the Hβ  line in the nebula by the nearby prodigiously energetic O7 star, xi Persei. The California Nebula was discovered by E. E. Barnard in 1884.