North America Nebula (NGC7000)

• Telescope: Stellarvue SVA130T-IS
• Mount: Losmandy G-11 with Gemini 2 controller
• Autoguiding: Yes (sub-arcsecond rms accuracy)
• Optical Configuration: 0.72x field flattener & reducer (f/5)
• Camera: Canon 60Da
• Light Frames: 12, 6-min. exposures
• Calibration: None (no darks, no flats, no biases)
• Exposure Time: 72 min. (12 x 6 min.)
• ISO: 800
• Processing: Photoshop CC
• Imaging Location: Sierra Nevada Mountains (Altitude: 8,600 ft.)

The aptly named North America Nebula (NGC7000) in the constellation Cygnus is an emission nebula containing gasses that glow red or blue. The red color comes from hydrogen gas that absorbs light from nearby stars and re-emits it in the red part of the spectrum (hydrogen-alpha emission). The blue light comes from oxygen gas, which also absorbs nearby starlight but re-emits it in the blue. The effect creates a purple haze glowing amid thousands of stars.