C 92 Eta Carinae Nebula

[Grumpy John]

Lucky to have a cloud free night so I had another play with the Dwarf Mini.

The Eta Carinae Nebula is one of the largest and brightest nebulae in the sky, four times larger than the Orion Nebula. It contains the unstable hypergiant star Eta Carinae, which may explode as a supernova. The nebula shows incredible detail in narrowband imaging. The nebula is approximately 8,500 light years from Earth.

[HansE]

So how do you work out how many light years we are looking at at the diagonal? I suppose you would need the exact angle of view as well as the 8500 ly distance. Maybe forget all about it and just enjoy the image.

[Grumpy John]

The sizes and distances do my head in, I'm just amazed at what I'm able to capture with the Dwarf Mini.

[wigz]

You are producing amazing images with that little device Hans. How do you locate the objects and does it track or does it take and combine multiple images.

You must be very pleased with it.

[Grumpy John]

Looking like a clear night again, so there may be more images forthcoming.

[wigz]

I’ve been trying to get Milky Way shots but can’t seem to get a clear night with no moon that works for me.

[Grumpy John]

Yeah, it all has to line up doesn't it.

[Isac]

All looks fascinating John. All coming together for you.

[Grumpy John]

For those wondering here is the EXIF data and shooting data from the .json file

EXIF data:
Make: DWARFLAB
Model: DWARF mini
Software: 1.1.0.1
Date Taken: 2026-05-14 12:26:43
Exposure Time: 60 sec
F Number: f/5
ISO Speed Ratings:
Exposure Program: Manual
Metering Mode:
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: No flash
Focal Length: 150 mm
35mm Equivalent:
Lens Model: TELE
GPS: 38.102778 S , 145.354722 E

JSON Data:
{
"DEC": -59.894377881359866,
Declination (Dec)

• Definition: Dec measures how far north or south an object is from the celestial equator.
• Units: It is measured in degrees, with positive values indicating north and negative values indicating south.
• Reference Point: The celestial equator is at 0 degrees declination, while the north and south celestial poles are at +90 and -90 degrees, respectively.

"RA": 10.738823416114547,
Right Ascension (RA)

• Definition: RA measures the angular distance of a celestial object eastward along the celestial equator from the vernal equinox.
• Units: It is measured in hours, minutes, and seconds. A full circle is 24 hours, with each hour equivalent to 15 degrees.
• Reference Point: The zero point for RA is at the vernal equinox, where the Sun crosses the celestial equator in late March.

"binning": "1*1",

"exp": "60", In seconds

"format": "FITS",
FITS (Flexible Image Transport System) is a digital file format widely used in astronomy for storing and transmitting scientific data, including images, spectra, and tables. It is designed to be flexible and backward-compatible, ensuring long-term archival storage and easy data processing.

"gain": 60,
Gain in astrophotography refers to the amplification of the signal from the camera's sensor, which increases the sensitivity to light. It is similar to ISO settings in traditional photography, where higher gain can brighten images but may also introduce more noise.

"ir": "Astro",
This is the inbuilt filter used during imaging.
DWARF mini supports multiple filter options.
Astro Filter
The Astro filter is designed for deep-sky and wide-field astrophotography, where you need to capture both visible and near-infrared light. It works best for bright nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters, helping reveal more structure and contrast in faint celestial objects.
Duo-Band Filter
The Duo-Band filter is specially optimized for emission nebulae, transmitting two specific wavelengths — Hα (656.3 nm) and OIII (500.7 nm) — while blocking other light. This filter greatly increases nebular contrast and helps isolate fine gaseous details when the star field looks crowded or messy.
When selecting a target in Sky Atlas, the recommended filter will be automatically shown and applied under Auto Parameters.

"maxTemp": 26,
Sensor temperature

"minTemp": 21,
Sensor temperature

"shotsStacked": 190,

"shotsTaken": 200,

"shotsToTake": 200,

"target": "C 92"
The name of the celestial object being imaged
}