Combination of 12, 5 minute exposures using an H-alpha filter.
SBIG ST-8XE CCD. 35mm Nikon lens at f/4.
Canis Major is one of the dominent constellations of the summer sky. The Milky Way passes through the eastern portion of the constellation, and it contains numerous interesting deep-sky objects for any sized telescope; from large and bright open clusters to tiny faint galaxies. It is also home to the brightest star in the sky, the beautiful blue-white Sirius.
In the image above, Sirius is near the centre. Below Sirius is the open cluster M41. The bright nebulus patch towards the top of the image is dominated be IC 2177, also known as the Seagull Nebula, while the large mass of nebulosity towards the bottom has several Sharpless and Gum designations.
