NGC 6357 and NGC 6334. Two beauties looking away…

TOA11-NGC6357-SL-hres-DCP-07-Final5-bCc

Click here for full resolution image

This wide field shows two real beauties that seem to turn their backs to avoid each other’s sight…

Located 2 degrees apart, these emission nebulae, NGC 6357 (upper left) and NGC 6334 (lower right), are the sites of a high rate of star birth. In both cases, stars are being born with a higher frequency than in other similar regions. There is a difference, though, NGC 6357 is forming massive and very conspicuous stars, while NGC 6334’s new stars are concealed behind a dust cloud that can only be avoided when imaging with infrared cameras.

For this wide field image, higher resolution images of NGC 6357 and NGC 6334 have been blended to enhance its crispness. These images, taken with a CDK 20″ f/6.8 can be seen in this web site: NGC 6357 and NGC 6334. The image has been taken in narrowband and processed to natural color.

Additional Information

Object

Name(s): NGC 6357 and NGC 6334

Type: Emission Nebulae

RA:  17h 22m 54s

Dec: -34ΒΊ 57’ 58”

Constellation: Scorpius

Size (arcmin): 50 x 40 (NGC 6357) and 40 x 30 (NGC 6334)

Magnitude: +10.0 (both)

Distance: 8,000 ly (NGC 6357) and 5,500 ly (NGC 6334)

Image

Date: 2017-08-25 thru 2017-08-25

Location: iTelescope.net, SSO near Coonabarabran, NSW Australia

Size (arcmin): 3×3 degrees

Telescope: Takahashi TOA 130 f/5.7 and Planewave CDK 20” f/6.8 (High Resolution)

Camera: SBIG STX16803 (4096x4096pix)

Guiding: Astrodon MonsterMOAG off-axis guider

Total exposure: 44 hours (Wide field: 12.5 hours; NGC 6334: 20h; NGC 6357: 11.5h)

Processing: CCDStack, Registar, Photoshop CC 2018

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