NGC 2237 - The Rosette Nebula

Processing Data:	Object Info:
Negatives - December 2001 and January 2002	The area around the Rosetta Nebula is rich in NGC designations, including the open cluster NGC224, which highlights the central region of the Rosetta Nebula. The regions of the nebular itself is composed of NGC designations NGC2237, 2238, 2239 and 2246. The nebula is considered to be located in the constellation Monoceros, although it is actually located in the dark region between Monoceros and the constellation Orion. The Rosette is large and diffuse, and considered a rather difficult object to detect in smaller telescopes, indeed, it may actually be easier from dark skies to view with binoculars due to it's rather large angular size.
Meade 5" ED Refractor F/9
216XT Autoguider
Pentax K1000 Body
Kodak PPF 400, Unhypered
7 x 50 min.
Image Stacking in Picture Window
Digital Enhanced (curves and color balance) in Photoshop

Processing Info: These were my first negatives shot in close to 2 years. This was also my last roll of PPF 400, which I happened to find in my desk in the basement, kept uncooled 2 years beyond expiration. I took 33 frames of the Rosette, of which the first 25 were mis-framed at NGC2237, instead of 2244. As a result, I only had 3 useable shots from the correctly framed shots, and also used an additional 4 frame stack which I salvaged from the mis-framed shots, and composited them. I used the latest in Astro-Processing techniques including judicious use of Levels early in the pre-stack process, Mike Cook Film Grain Noise Reduction and Blending method composing in Picture Window. I avoided using BGSmooth DNR and NeatImage since central core 6 image stack was so smooth.
Object Details Courtesy Burnham's Celestial Handbook, Robert Burnham, Jr. (1978 Dover Publications)