Veil Nebula complex

The skies have been kind lately, allowing me to capture the Western Veil Nebula complex. This region of the night sky is always a delight with its intricate filaments and vibrant colours.

I was careful with my data collection, ensuring each frame met strict quality criteria before integration. Even though astronomical darkness is not here yet, I tried my best to capture the target while it’s high in the sky and less affected by artificial and moonlight.

The processing was straightforward. I applied dynamic background extraction and a simple histogram transformation to enhance the contrast and bring out the nebula’s details. The amount of noise in the image is the price I need to pay for bringing out that deep Ha in the background, especially near the Witches Broom part of the image.

I’m pleased with this result and hope you enjoy it. I look forward to capturing more data, refining this image further, and extending it to the Eastern Veil Nebula as well, which is done by the time of posting this image.