Helix Nebula

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Island Lake, Beartooth Pass WY
18 August 2001
Takahashi CN212 at f/4, Losmandy GM-8 mount,
tracking by ST-4 autoguider on guidescope
Superposition of 20- and 40-minute exposures on EliteChrome 200 pushed +2 stops

The Helix Nebula

Even though this is a relatively large object (about half the moon's diameter), it is not bright enough to be an obvious target- hidden in the constellation Aquarius. But that makes it a good candidate for my camera, which can expose long enough for the red emission colors to register on film.

I took this picture at the "top of the world", a beautiful alpine setting I tried to describe in Beartooth Reflections.

This picture was taken during my Nightscape Odyssey.