Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888) in HOO Palette

The Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888, Caldwell 27, Sharpless 105) in a striking HOO palette (Hydrogen-Alpha and OIII), highlighting its delicate filaments and the interaction between stellar winds and ejected gas.

NGC 6888 is an emission nebula located about 5,000 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus. It was formed by powerful stellar winds from its central Wolf-Rayet star (WR 136), which collide with material the star shed during its red giant phase, creating this cosmic bubble of glowing gas.

The image was captured over multiple nights from the rugged mountains of eastern UAE, under challenging summer conditions with nighttime temperatures between 36°C and 32°C (97–90°F). Despite the heat, the skies were clear and stable, revealing the nebula’s faint outer shell and internal filaments in vivid detail.

- Telescope: Explore Scientific 152mm David H. Levy Comet Hunter Maksutov-Newtonian
- Camera: ZWO ASI183MM Pro (cooled)
- Mount: iOptron HAE43
- Filters: H-alpha, OIII
- Guiding & Control: ASIAir Plus

- Processing: PixInsight and Photoshop

Image Detail:
- H-alpha: 111 x 180s (5 hours 33 minutes)
- OIII: 94 x 180s (4 hours 42 minutes)
- Total exposure: 10 hours 15 minutes
- Palette: HOO (Hydrogen-Alpha, Oxygen III)