By Mario Rana | 2026-02-09
Hartl-Dengel-Weinberger 3
On 02/08/2026 10:00 pm by Steven Bellavia | Website | Smithfield, VA
This is one of the faintest objects I have ever imaged.
Hartl-Dengel-Weinberger 3, or HDW3, PK 149-09.1, PN G149.4-09.2, is an extremely faint and old planetary nebula discovered in 1983 by astronomers Herbert Hartl, Johann Dengel, and Ronald Weinberger.
It is approximately 3,000 light years away, located in the constellation Perseus. It is also fairly large for a planetary nebula, at approximately 12 arc-minutes across.
Telescope: Celestron C6 SCT
Starizona HyperStar C6 v4 Reducer-Corrector
Camera: ZWO ASI 533MC Pro, cooled to -5C
Antlia High Speed Duo-band filter
Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro with EQMOD ASCOM
Guidescope: Modified SvBony 30mm guidescope
Guide Camera: ZWO ASI 224MC
Mele mini-computer running APT and PHD2, using SharpCap for polar alignment
85 x 180 second images, processed in PixInsight and Canon Digital Photo Professional