NGC 6997 Open Cluster in Narrowband SHO Palette
Friday, May 22nd, 2026 at 4:51:08 PM · 2026/Astrophotography
This deep-sky image captures NGC 6997, an open star cluster embedded in the densely nebulous region of Cygnus, processed using the SHO (Sulfur-II, Hydrogen-alpha, Oxygen-III) narrowband palette that renders hydrogen emission in gold-orange tones and oxygen emission in vivid cyan-teal hues. The image reveals sweeping curtains of ionized gas, dark dust lanes, and thousands of stars across a 92.6×92.6 arcminute field of view imaged at 1.85 arcsec/pixel. The total integration time of 2.1 hours combined Ha, OIII, SII, and LRGB filter exposures, captured with a TMB-92 Signature Series APO refractor and ZWO ASI533MM Pro monochrome camera cooled to -10°C. Dramatic pillars of dark nebulosity cut diagonally across the lower frame, while bright orange emission nebulae arch across the upper left corner in a visually striking composition. Post-processing included Python-based workflows and Syqon Starless AI star removal to reveal the nebular structure beneath the dense star field.
Chronologically Adjacent
