How to photograph the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293)
One of the closest planetary nebulae, a large eye of red and teal.
Photo byNASA, ESA and the Hubble Helix Team(Public domain)
When to shoot it from your location
About the Helix Nebula
The Helix is big for a planetary nebula and has low surface brightness. A dual-band filter brings out the teal core and red outer ring.
Gear and framing
The Helix Nebula spans about 16′ of sky. It frames best with:
- Small refractor (250-600mm)
- Long focal length (800mm and up)
You can see how other people have built their rigs on RigDesigner, including my Sony a6700 and 60mm refractor rig.
Filters
This target glows in hydrogen-alpha and oxygen-III light. A dual-band filter, or separate narrowband filters with a mono camera, lets that light through and blocks most light pollution and moonlight. It is a good choice for city skies and for nights with the Moon up.
Tips
- It sits low for northern observers, so pick a spot with a clear view to the south.
Processing
Stack your light frames with darks and flats, then remove the background gradient before stretching. AstroBake does all of this for you. Point it at your folders of raw frames, then adjust the result with live sliders.