How to photograph the Pacman Nebula (NGC 281)
A compact emission nebula shaped like Pac-Man.
Photo byChuck Ayoub(CC BY-SA 4.0)
When to shoot it from your location
About the Pacman Nebula
NGC 281 is bright in hydrogen and oxygen and high in northern fall skies. It is a good first narrowband target for a small refractor.
Gear and framing
The Pacman Nebula spans about 35′ 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
- Its compact size suits 500-1000mm.
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.