| Horsehead and Flame Nebulae - DSLR |
This wide field image of the Horsehead Nebula includes a total of four nebula at a distance of 1,500 light years, all related to the large stellar nursery in Orion that includes the
Great Nebula M42. The largest nebula in this group is the deep red emission nebula IC 434, appearing as a waterfall of ionized hydrogen on the right. An intervening cloud of
interstellar dust creates the silhouette of a horse's head, giving rise to the name of the dark nebula B33. The Flame Nebula on the left, also known as NGC 2024, is another
region of glowing hydrogen gas in the shape of a burning bush. Between the Flame and the Horsehead is the smaller blue reflection nebula NGC 2023, caused by a cloud of fine
dust reflecting the light of a central star.
The brilliant blue star in the upper left of this image is called Alnitak, but is better known as the left-side star in the belt of Orion the Hunter.
The image above combined 6 x 8-minute exposures with a Hutech-modified Canon 6D DSLR through an Astro-Physics 12" f/3.8 Ricardi-Honders astrograph. The CCD
image below was obtained with 75 minutes of H-alpha, 70 minutes of red, 40 minutes of green, and 25 minutes of blue exposures using an ST10XME camera through an AP
130 GT refractor at f/4.5.
Great Nebula M42. The largest nebula in this group is the deep red emission nebula IC 434, appearing as a waterfall of ionized hydrogen on the right. An intervening cloud of
interstellar dust creates the silhouette of a horse's head, giving rise to the name of the dark nebula B33. The Flame Nebula on the left, also known as NGC 2024, is another
region of glowing hydrogen gas in the shape of a burning bush. Between the Flame and the Horsehead is the smaller blue reflection nebula NGC 2023, caused by a cloud of fine
dust reflecting the light of a central star.
The brilliant blue star in the upper left of this image is called Alnitak, but is better known as the left-side star in the belt of Orion the Hunter.
The image above combined 6 x 8-minute exposures with a Hutech-modified Canon 6D DSLR through an Astro-Physics 12" f/3.8 Ricardi-Honders astrograph. The CCD
image below was obtained with 75 minutes of H-alpha, 70 minutes of red, 40 minutes of green, and 25 minutes of blue exposures using an ST10XME camera through an AP
130 GT refractor at f/4.5.
Music: Fire and Rain, James Taylor
