M27 - the dumbbell nebula
This is a planetary nebula in the constellation of Vulpecula. I have seen various distance estimates ranging from 500 to nearly 1,000 light years. Here is the original photo, 46 images combined by GRIP. This is the natural colour - no filters were used and the colour balance has not been altered:
Canon EOS5DMkII 254mm Newtonian @ 2380mm 46 x 10s f/9.4 ISO12800 2009-8-21 22:48:19-23:01:30 BST
Next is an enhanced version of the above. I have used unsharp masking and the the red component (a prominent feature of light pollution) has been reduced):
Canon EOS5DMkII 254mm Newtonian @ 2380mm 46 x 10s f/9.4 ISO12800 2009-8-21 22:48:19-23:01:30 BST