Description and Details: This is a new interpretation of the Scarlet Letter Nebula, Sh2-96, part of the ancient supernova remnant G65.3+5.7 in Cygnus, combining two years of imaging data and a substantial amount of new RGB, Hα, and OIII data.
I've been changing my approach to imaging, moving away from short 60-second RGB exposures and relatively limited broadband integration toward a much more substantial RGB foundation: 300-second subs and at least 2–4 hours per channel. My preference is to begin with natural RGB color and then carefully incorporate narrowband data to reveal faint structures without losing the richness and subtlety of the broadband image.
This project took an unexpected turn when I stacked the new data with last year's images and discovered that I'd inadvertently used coordinates from a neighboring project. Only the Scarlet Letter “A” fell within the overlapping field! Rather than discard all that new data, I decided to embrace the narrower composition, rotating and cropping the image to emphasize the striking shape of the A.
Combining two years of data also introduced a few technical challenges, particularly some imperfect flats from last year's imaging sessions, which required a bit of cleanup.
Processing: I began with the RGB image, created and incorporated a synthetic luminance, and then added Hα and OIII using the Combine Hα and Narrowband script. I subsequently used Combine Hα with RGB to soften the intense crimson tones and bring additional hydrogen emission into the surrounding background.
Three passes of Local Histogram Equalization helped bring out the intricate filaments, followed by light sharpening, subtle curves adjustments, and a brief finishing pass in Photoshop. I also applied a little star reduction to keep the dense Cygnus star field from competing with the delicate nebulosity.
What began as an effort to revisit an old project with considerably better data turned into a different perspective on the Scarlet Letter. Sometimes an unexpected framing leads to a composition you might never have chosen deliberately.
Data acquired from 2 years: August 2025 and October 27-November 1st, 2026:
R: 4 hours
G: 4 hours
B: 4 hours
Ha: 18 hours
O3: 16 hours
Copyright: Michele Bayliss