Image taken 6 September 2008 from Blackwood, South Australia

Equipment - Takahashi TSA102S, flattener with Astro 40D camera by Central DS

Guiding - ED80 with USB DMK on CGE mount.

8 x 13 minute subs

Darks, flats and bias's applied

Processed in Images Plus and Photoshop CS3

Notes - this nebula seen in the near centre of the image lies in the Small Magellanic Cloud at a distance of 200,000 light years. The nebula is nearly 200 light years across and contains very hot young blue stars which are around 3-5 million years old. Below the nebula is another nebula named NGC306. Above NGC346 is a tight cluster of stars named NGC371 and to the lower left another cluster named NGC330. Imaging around the pole is quite difficult I found, guiding is severly affected by the polar alignment of the mount.