The Rosette Nebula (NGC 2244)

NGC 2244 The Rosette nebula in Monoceros. This image was shot on February 27th and 28th 2020. 56 x 240 second exposures for total integration of 3 hours 44 minutes at ISO 800. 20 Darks, 50 Flats, 50 Dark Flats. Not happy with this image but wanted to post it anyway as the nebula looks pretty good on the surface but a closer look shows tracking and/or polar alignment issues on the left side. This is also the first image I’ve shot using the Optolong L-Pro filter. I shot this from the balcony on the back of my house. Not a good decision either as the deck is most definitely Terra non-firma! Shooting from the back balcony is the only way I can get any view of the southern sky from home with all my trees. This data was shot over two nights and included a couple of Meridian flips which was a first for me while imaging. I polar aligned without the aid of Polaris, again another first for me. While this image has issues, I’m optimistic about future images once I correct this stuff. I can’t wait to shoot the Rosette again and get it right but until then I have this shot.