The Helix Nebula NGC 7293 in the light of Ionised Hydrogen, Sulphur and Oxygen
This image reveals a long history of stellar eruptions from a once Sun like star in Aquarius
and covers several full moons worth of sky area!

Overall Winner - South Pacific Star Party "Astro's" 2010

Short listed in Royal Observatory Greenwich Astronomy Photgrapher of the Year 2010

Astronomy Image of the Day - Astronomy magazine

Featured in Australian Sky & Telescope Oct 2010

Read more about the "Eye of God" or Helix Nebula and see an image taken by Hubble here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helix_Nebula

Cropped from this wider field view:
http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/115561131/original

** Using new low reflection Astronomik 12nm Ha SII OIII filter set

AP152 F7.5 Starfire APO refractor with 4" field flattener
FLI ProLine11002 CCD & CFW-2-7
L SII Ha OIII: 1hr, 7hrs, 10hrs, 9hrs = Total 27hrs (all bin 1X1) Astronomik filters
-35C chip temp, darks and flats (AstroHandy LightRing used for flats)
12MPPS download speed = 1.5sec/full frame download at bin 1X1.
FOV = 1.2deg X 0.9deg at 1.4"/pix
Guide Camera: Starlightxpress SXVH9

Comments:
Taken over 7 nights from Bob and Pats farm
Average seeing

http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/107700957/original

Some links to equipment used to take this image:

Finger Lakes Instrumentation (FLI) CCD cameras and equipment:
http://www.flicamera.com/

StarlightXpress CCD cameras and equipment
http://www.starlight-xpress.co.uk/

Astro-Elecronic FS2 scope GOTO controller:
http://www.astro-electronic.de/

Gerd Neumann/Astronomik filters:
http://www.gerd.neumann.net/

http://www.astronomik.com/

MSB Software & Astroart 4
http://www.msb-astroart.com/

STAR Atlas:PRO planetarium software
http://www.skylab.com.au/

AstroHandy Accessories
http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/astrohandy_lightring

http://www.astrohandy.com