How to photograph the Rosette Nebula (NGC 2237)
A rose-shaped hydrogen cloud around the young cluster NGC 2244.
Photo bySiderevs nuncivs(CC BY-SA 4.0)
When to shoot it from your location
About the Rosette Nebula
The Rosette is large, bright in hydrogen and oxygen, and well placed in winter. It is one of the best targets for a dual-band filter and a one-shot color camera.
Gear and framing
The Rosette Nebula spans about 80′ of sky. It frames best with:
- Telephoto (85-300mm lens)
- Small refractor (250-600mm)
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
- 300-500mm frames it nicely. With a dual-band filter, moonlight is not much of a problem.
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.