Pelican Nebula and Neighbors

Image Title: Pelican Nebula and Neighbors

Copyright: Maciej Enerlich

Date image was taken: September 18, 2026

Location: Rudka 12-100
Poland

Data Acquisition Method: Personal Telescope Setup

Description and Details: This image of the Pelican Nebula and its surrounding Cygnus clouds is based almost entirely on narrowband data.

The final result combines 8 h 50 min of dual-band Ha/OIII data captured with the Optolong L-Ultimate and 7 h 30 min of dedicated SII data acquired through the SVBony SV227 5 nm filter, with only a very small amount of unfiltered data added. The total integration time is 16 h 26 min with 300s frames. I also used 18 and 6s frames with no filter for rgb stars

My goal with this project was not only to reveal the rich structure of the region — the glowing emission, dark dust lanes and subtle transitions across the field — but also to build an SHO-style narrowband image using a one-shot color camera.

Even though I use a ZWO ASI2600MC Pro, I try to create SHO images to show that this kind of processing is not reserved only for mono cameras. Of course, a monochrome setup remains the more direct and flexible solution for true narrowband imaging, but I wanted this image to demonstrate that it is still possible to experiment with the SHO palette and achieve a satisfying result with an OSC/MC camera as well.

For me, this is part of the fun: exploring how far a color camera can be pushed in narrowband work, and showing that SHO can also be an interesting creative path for MC users.

Equipment:
Telescope: Askar 103 APO + 0.8× reducer
Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC Pro
Mount: Proxisky Ragdoll 17 Pro
Filters: Optolong L-Ultimate 2", SVBony SV227 SII 5 nm 2"
Acquisition: ZWO ASIAIR Mini, ZWO EAF
Processing: PixInsight, Astro Pixel Processor, Adobe Photoshop

Name: Maciej Enerlich

Website, Instagram or Facebook Profile: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/macieje.astrofotografia/