First Light with the FRA400 – The Witch’s Broom

 A shakedown session with a new imaging rig ...

A few months ago, a longtime local Astronomy Friend reached out to let me know he was selling his Askar FRA400 Astrograph. This was exactly the telescope I was looking for, and I bought it from him. Clear skies and my free time finally aligned, providing an opportunity to set up and test out this new imaging rig.

In this post, I’ll walk through the first-light shakedown for the FRA400 rig, the troubleshooting that got the new focuser working reliably, and the final image of NGC 6960. The goal was not only to capture a beautiful summer target, but also to learn whether this telescope assembly could become an easy swap-in companion to my wider-field FMA180 Pro setup.

The goal was to create a telescope assembly that could be swapped easily with my Askar FMA180 Pro rig. A few accessories still needed to be added, including an electronic focusing motor and a power/data distribution box. Since the telescope purchase was unplanned but too good to pass up, it took a while to get all the pieces in place. The telescope was mounted on a Losmandy/D-style dovetail plate from ADM Accessories. A PrimaLuceLab Sesto Senso 3 electronic focusing motor was installed on the telescope’s focuser, and an SvBony SV241 Pro data/power control box was installed using the finder-scope shoe on the telescope. Then I just had to wait for clear skies.

Sunday, July 19th, was forecast to be clear. I installed the telescope and camera on the mount and made a first attempt at cable management. Everything was moved into position in my backyard, leveled, and connected to electricity well before dark. Before sunset, I powered everything up and connected all the devices to the software I use for imaging. I set up profiles in NINA and PHD2, found the correct COM ports, and verified that everything connected and worked.

Once it was dark, I ran into a major issue that prevented me from going forward. The focus motor was not working properly. The first time I told it to move inward by a small amount, it moved the focuser outward and would not stop. I had to pull the power to stop it. After recalibrating it in the PrimaLuceLab Play software, I returned to NINA but could not get repeatable results. After several hours, I packed everything up and headed in for the night.

I checked the mechanical connections between the focus motor and the telescope, but everything was tight. I also ran some bench tests inside. The focuser behaved properly in the Play software but not in NINA. Thankfully, the Sesto Senso 3 manual is very well written. It notes that if third-party software produces erratic focuser behavior, the focuser should be connected through Device Hub instead of directly to the ASCOM driver in software such as NINA. Apparently, Device Hub acts as a buffer and smooths out communication between the device and the imaging software. Now all I needed was another clear night.

Thursday, July 23rd, was forecast to be clear. I got everything set up after dinner and waited for dark. Success! Everything worked. After polar aligning the scope and calibrating PHD2, I needed to select a target. The constellation Cygnus passes high overhead in the summer, stays above the horizon through astronomical dark, and is rich with targets, especially targets compatible with narrowband filters. With these factors in mind, I chose the Western Veil Nebula (NGC 6960) in Cygnus for first light with my new imaging rig based on the Askar FRA400. As luck would have it, I was able to image for a few more hours on the following night, Friday, July 24th.

The Western Veil Nebula (NGC 6960) is a beautiful object that is part of the Veil Nebula, also known as the Cygnus Loop complex. Click here for a link to a widefield image of the entire complex. NGC 6960 is also called the Witch’s Broom. Fleming’s Triangular Wisp, as well as many other filaments, is contained within the field of view. The red filaments are made of hydrogen, specifically hydrogen-alpha emission, and the green-blue filaments are from oxygen, specifically OIII emission. These emissions make the region a suitable target for a dual narrowband filter like the Optolong L-eXtreme that I intended to use.

Image 1: The Witch’s Broom and Fleming’s Triangular Wisp

An image of The Western Veil Nebula (NG6960 and Fleming's Triangular Wisp captured on July 23 & July 24 from my backyard with my new deep sky imaging rig based on the Askar FRA400 telescope.

What is it?

Object type: Supernova remnant — About 10,000 to 20,000 years ago, a star roughly 20 times more massive than our Sun exploded as a supernova. The shell of gas and dust from that explosion is still expanding rapidly. When this fast-moving material runs into slower-moving gas and dust in the surrounding region, it heats and ionizes the material, producing the glowing filaments we see today.

Location in sky: NGC 6960 is in the constellation Cygnus, one of the many deep-sky gems located within the Summer Triangle asterism. It is best placed for evening viewing from June through October. Refer to the finder chart in Image 2.

Distance / size / scale: Estimated distance ranges from 1,400 to 2,600 light-years from Earth. The apparent size of the Witch’s Broom is about 70.0 × 6.0 arcminutes, and it is about 53.1 light-years in length.

Visual features: The red filaments of ionized gas and dust represent hydrogen-alpha emission, while the green-blue filaments trace doubly ionized oxygen, known as OIII. The most prominent feature is the Witch’s Broom, roughly centered on the bright star 52 Cygni. Fleming’s Triangular Wisp is also prominent in the field.

Why it matters: NGC 6960 gives us a view of cosmic recycling: material from a dead massive star expanding into space, enriching the surrounding region for future generations of stars. It is also one of the most recognizable parts of the Cygnus Loop, making it a favorite summer target for visual observers and astrophotographers.

Image 2: Finder chart for the Western Veil Nebula (NGC 6960) and Fleming’s Triangular Wisp

Finder Chart for the Western Veil Nebula (NGC6960) and Fleming's Triangular Wisp. The red rectangle indicates the field of view of the image.

Prominent Objects in the Field

Object 1: The Western Veil Nebula, also known as the Witch’s Broom or NGC 6960 — Near the top center of the image, centered on the bright star 52 Cygni — A bright, filamentary section of the Cygnus Loop supernova remnant.

Object 2: Fleming’s Triangular Wisp — Left Center of the frame — Filaments in a triangular shape (Also referred to as Pickering’s Triangular Wisp)

Object 3: 52 Cygni — Top center of the Frame — Bright double star

Additional details: NGC 6979 & NGC 6974 are two irregular patches of filaments 

 Image 3: Annotated image of the Western Veil Nebula (NGC 6960), Fleming’s Triangular Wisp, 52 Cygni, NGC 6974, and NGC 6979

This annotated version identifies the major nebulae and bright stars in the field of view.

Imaging Details

• Capture dates: July 23^rd & July 24^th, 2026.
• Location: Eden, NY
• Target: NGC 6960 (The Western Veil Nebula or The Witch’s Broom) and Fleming’s Triangular Wisp
• Total integration: 7 hours total
• Exposure breakdown:
• 7/23/2026: 85 subs at 180 sec each
• 7/24/2026: 55 subs at 180 sec each
• Gain = 100, Offset =50, & Sensor Temp = -10° C
• Filters / channels: Optolong L-eXtreme
• Moon / sky conditions:
• 7/23/2026: Moon 69% Waxing Gibbous Moon, Transparency = Poor, & Seeing = Fair/good.
• 7/24/2026: 78% Waxing Gibbous Moon, Transparency = Poor, & Seeing = Fair.

Equipment Used

• Telescope / lens: Askar FRA400
• Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC Pro
• Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro
• Filters: Optolong L-eXtreme
• Guiding: ZWO 30 mm Mini Guide Scope / ZWO ASI290MM
• Control / acquisition software: N.I.N.A & PHD2
• Other accessories: PrimaLuceLab Sesto Senso 3 & SvBony 241 Pro

Processing Details

• Calibration frames: 50 Darks, 50 Flats, & 50 Dark Flats
• Calibration and integration: All pre-processing was performed in PixInsight
• Background correction: GraXpert
• Color Calibration: SPCC
• Deconvolution: BlurXTerminator
• Stretching: Multiscale Adaptive Stretch
• Star Removal: StarXTerminator
• Noise reduction: NoiseXTerminator
• Contrast and Saturation: Curves Transformation
• Sharpening: Image Blend Script w/high Pass filter & Unsharp Mask process
• Star processing: Increased Saturation with Curves Transformation, removed green noise with SCNR, and corrected magenta stars by inverting the image and applying SCNR
• Final cleanup: Applied contrast adjustments with Curves Transformation to the starless image, then recombined the starless and star images with Pixel Math

Conclusion

Astrophotography rigs are complicated, and setting up a new one can present plenty of challenges. Getting the Sesto Senso 3 focuser to work reliably with my telescope and N.I.N.A. was the biggest hurdle in this first-light session. In the end, the effort was worth it: the FRA400 delivered a detailed view of the Western Veil Nebula and proved that this new setup is ready for more targets. I might just have to point it at the Eastern Veil Nebula before the summer is out.

Wide-Field Cygnus Loop

 8,000 years ago, a star 20 times more massive than our Sun went KABOOM ...

If you said Kaboom in the voice of Marvin the Martian, then we think alike. Trying something new with this blog post. Going to change the order of the content. Let me know what you think. Note: An AI tool was used to help write the text in the "What is it?" section.

On 7/3/2025, I captured this image of the Cygnus Loop from my backyard with my wide-field imaging rig.

A wide-field image of the Cygnus Loop captured from my backyard on 7/3/2025.

When processing Astro photos, it is common practice to separate the stars from the image. The stars and the object are then processed separately and recombined at the end. Here is the Starless image used to create the final image above. 

A starless version of the image used in the processing of this data.

What is it?

An annotated image of the Cygnus Loop.

Western Veil Nebula (NGC 6960 “Witch’s Broom”)

Located at the western edge of the Cygnus Loop, NGC 6960 is a tangle of glowing filaments spanning over a degree of sky. Also called the Witch’s Broom, its curved arc traces shock waves from a supernova that exploded roughly 8,000 years ago, heating and ionizing the interstellar gas. Bright knots and wisps of hydrogen- and oxygen-rich material alternately glow in red and teal, against a field of faint Milky Way stars.

Eastern Veil Nebula (NGC 6992, NGC 6995 & IC 1340)

This section consists of two main filamentary loops—NGC 6992 to the north and NGC 6995 immediately south—plus fainter outlying strands cataloged as IC 1340. The sinuous, lace-like structures mark where fast-moving debris slams into surrounding gas at hundreds of kilometers per second. Vivid filament edges glow in narrowband emissions, revealing intricate curlicues of supernova-heated plasma.

Open Star Cluster NGC 6940

Situated just south of the Eastern Veil, NGC 6940 is a rich grouping of several dozen 8th–10th magnitude stars. At about 2,500 light-years distance, this intermediate-age cluster (≈1 billion years) provides a contrasting backdrop of yellow-white suns set against the nebular filaments. Its loosely bound stars form a gentle arc, adding depth to the wide-field composition.

Foreground and Field Stars

• 52 Cygni: A 4th-magnitude star superimposed on the Western Veil’s arc, lending the Witch’s Broom its bright “handle.”
• 49 Cygni & 48 Cygni: Pair of 5th-magnitude stars near the Eastern Veil, framing the nebular loops.
• Countless fainter Milky Way stars fill the background, emphasizing the vastness of the supernova remnant.

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Together, these objects showcase the aftermath of stellar death alongside ongoing stellar life, framed by a tapestry of stars in the rich Cygnus Milky Way.

How Big is it?

The Cygnus Loop has a size of 3 degrees on the night sky and is about 120 light years across. For comparison, the Sun and the Moon have an angular distance of about 1/2 of a degree. 

The Western Veil Nebula (NGC 6960) has a size of 70 x 6 arcminutes (1 degree is 60 arcminutes) on the night sky and is about 53.1 light years across.

The Eastern Veil Nebula (NGC 6992) has a size of 60 x 30 arcminutes (1 degree is 60 arcminutes) on the night sky and is about 45.5 light years across.

NGC 6940 has a size of 25 arcminutes (1 degree is 60 arcminutes) on the night sky and is about 18.3 light years across.

How Far is it?

The entire Cygnus Loop (including Eastern & Western Veil Nebulae) is located about 2,400 light-years (ly) in the Constellation Cygnus.

NGC 6940 is located about 2,500 light-years (ly) in the Constellation Cygnus.

How to Find it?

This object can be visually observed. Dark skies are a must. A nebula filter, specifically an Oiii filter are almost required. This is a large object, so a wider field of view will let you see more of the object.

In the Finder Chart below. Find Cygnus the Swan, then locate Gienah (Epsilon Cygni) indicated by the letter "A" and Zeta Cygni indicated by the letter "B". Both stars will form an imaginary triangle with 52 Cygni, indicated by the letter "C". 52 Cygni is the bright star in the Western Veil. 

Finder Chart for the Cygnus Loop

Imaging Notes:

Thursday July 3^rd was forecast to be clear at night. I had a vacation day, extending the Independence Day holiday weekend. A clear night, no work the next day, no question I would be imaging. The 3^rd was one day past 1^st Quarter Moon, so a bright Moon would be up all night. Therefore, I decided to go after the Cygnus Loop with my wide-field setup and dual narrowband filter. I had to wait until nearly midnight for the object to clear the trees to begin the imaging sequence. The first sub came in at 11:46 PM. Subs continued to roll in until 4:14 AM as the skies started to brighten as dawn approached. Overall, an eventful evening. The skies were really good, and the equipment behaved. 

Processing:

All pre and post processing was performed in PixInsight. Pre-Processing: All subs were visually inspected with Blink and subs with issues were removed. All light Frames, Flats, Darks and Dark flats were loaded into WBPP. Linear Post Processing: Background extraction was performed with GraXpert followed by BXT (correct only). SPCC was used for Color Calibration followed by a full application of BXT. The Stars were removed using StarXT. Starless Linear: Noise was reduced with NXT. The image was made non-linear with HT. Linear Stars: The stars were made non-linear with Seti Astro's Star Stretch Script.

Non-linear Post Processing: Starless: Color, intensity, and contrast were adjusted with various applications of CT. Saturation was increased with CT. The Image blend Script was used to sharpen the image with a High Pass Filter. LHE was applied at 2 Kernel sizes and Unsharp mask was applied. CT was used to increase contrast. Stars: Saturation was increased with CT. SCNR was applied and the Correct Magenta Stars Script was used to help with stars captured with a dual narrowband filter. CT was used to adjust contrast one last time. Final: The Stars and Starless images were combined with Pixel Math to produce the final image. 

Image Details:

Capture Date: 7/3/2025

Location: Eden, NY

Telescope: Askar FMA180 Pro

Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC Pro

Filter: Optolong L-eXtreme

Mount: Sky-Watcher USA EQ6-R Pro

Exposure: 79 exposures for a total exposure of almost 3 hours and 57 minutes. All exposures were captured at 180 sec / Gain 100 / Offset 50 / -10°C each.

Software: NINA, SharpCap Pro, PHD2, and PixInsight

Clear Skies!

Ernie