"Gabriela Mistral" nebula and Gem's cluster in Carina (SHO)

NGC3324_SHO Click here or on the image for full size...WARNING: Heavy File!!!!


In this zone of the southern skies there are majestic clouds and beautiful star clusters, some of them in this picture.
I can see powerful clouds or waves, a “cavern” in the sky and a subtle web…

At a distance of approximately 8000 light-years, in the southern constellation Carina is the young open cluster NGC3293 (the "Cluster of Gems") formed by about 100 blue stars (top right).
In the center of the image appears the open cluster NGC3324, associated with the emission nebula IC2599/Gum31 known as "Gabriela Mistral", since some people see in it the silhouette of the Chilean poet.
Below, on the left, part of the nebula associated with the star Eta Carinae.

This photography was taken at Buenos Aires City, Argentina (a highly iluminated zone), in several sessions from april to june, 2020, summing up 22 hours of total integration time.
The used equipment setup: Refractor SkyWatcher Esprit ED100, ASI1600MM, Baader Ha and SII filters, Astronomik OIII filter, SkyWatcher NEQ6 mount, homemade electronic focuser and anti-dew systems.

A "real" color image of this zone appears in the mosaic published here.

Technical data

Acquisition site Buenos Aires City, Argentina
Acquisition dates April/June 2020
Instrument SkyWatcher Esprit 100ED APO.
Mount SkyWatcher NEQ6, managed by EQmod
Guide Off-Axis, with Lodestar camera
Camera ASI1600MM
Camera sensor temperature -20 °C
Filters Baader Ha 3.5 nm
Baader SII 4.5 nm
Astronomik OIII 6 nm
Integration time Total: 22 hs
Ha: 6 hs
SII: 10 hs
OIII: 6 hs
Calibration 36 flats, 72 darks.
Resolution 1.4 arcsec/pixel
550 mm focal, 3.8 um x 3.8 um pixels
Native size 4656 x 3520 pixels
Cropped size 4521 x 3425 pixels
FOV 1°47’ x 1°21’
Image center coordinates RA: 10 h 39 min
Dec: -58° 40'
Rotation: 2°
Process PixInsight 1.8
Acquisition Maxim DL