MWP1 and ALV1: Ancient Planetary Nebulae in Cygnus
Image Title: MWP1 and ALV1
Copyright: Alexandros Filothodoros
Date image was taken: July 29, 2026
Location: Zielona Góra, Poland
Data Acquisition Method: Personal Telescope Setup
Description and Details: MWP1 is an ancient and unusually large bipolar planetary nebula in Cygnus, located roughly 4,500 light-years away. Its estimated age is around 150,000 years, much longer than the typical lifespan of planetary nebulae. ALV1 is another faint planetary nebula in the same field, featuring an asymmetric shape likely caused by stellar winds.
Capturing this signal presented extra challenges, as the data was acquired during summer's "white nights," and the Ha shots, in particular, were taken under an almost full Moon.
Exposure Data:
Ha: 62 x 600 sec (10.3 hours)
OIII: 46 x 600 sec (7.6 hours)
Total Integration Time: 18 hours
Equipment:
Telescope: Askar 65PHQ
Camera: Player One Poseidon-M Pro
Mount: Pegasus Astro NYX-88 Harmonic Gear Mount
Filters: Antlia 3nm Ha Antlia 3nm OIII
Filter Wheel: Player One Phoenix Wheel 7x36mm
Name: Alexandros Filothodoros
Website or Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/alex.filothodoros
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AAPOD2 Title: MWP1 and ALV1: Ancient Planetary Nebulae in Cygnus
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