The Prawn Nebula, Northern Jewel Box, False Comet and Dark Tower

by Scott Stirling

Objects in field: NGC 6231, NGC 6242, NGC 6268, IC 4628, B232, B44a, B48, Grafias, PK342-00.1, PK342+00.1, PK343-00.1, PK343+03.1, PK344+00.1, PK344+02.1, PK344+03.1, PK345+03.1, PK345+03.2, PK345+04.1, Scorpius, The star ζ1 Sco, The star ζ2 Sco, zet01 Sco, zet02 Sco

Equipment: Meade Series 6000 70mm, Canon EOS Ra

Integration: 2h 29m 10s

This field of view is almost as low in the southern sky as possible to get from southern Virginia. This is an experiment / test of how well such an object can be imaged so close to the horizon at this location. Looking south of Antares, right over the distant tree tops in a flat observation field, the sky near to the horizon grows two or three Bortle classes brighter than zenith, and is oft…