Horse Head Nebula and Flame Nebula in Orion
Designation
Location
- Date - Time
Object
Type
Coordinates
Exposure
Camera
Optics
Mount
Software
Conditions
Description
Molecular
Cloud
05h
41m 00.s -02° 23' (Orion)
60 X
300 sec frames with 20 flats and darks ISO
1600.
Canon
350D Modified by Hap
Meade
LXD75 Guided with Astro IIDC through Meade
SN-6"
Nebulosity
for capture and stacking, Photoshop CS2 for post
processing
Transparency
, Seeing , Temperature +55 °F
One of
the most identifiable nebulae in the sky, the
Horsehead Nebula in Orion, is part of a large,
dark, molecular cloud. Also known as Barnard 33,
the unusual shape was first discovered on a
photographic plate in the late 1800s. The red
glow originates from hydrogen gas predominantly
behind the nebula, ionized by the nearby bright
star Sigma Orionis.
The darkness of the Horsehead is caused mostly by thick dust, although the lower part of the Horsehead's neck casts a shadow to the left. Streams of gas leaving the nebula are funneled by a strong magnetic field. Bright spots in the Horsehead Nebula's base are young stars just in the process of forming. Light takes about 1500 years to reach us from the Horsehead Nebula.
The darkness of the Horsehead is caused mostly by thick dust, although the lower part of the Horsehead's neck casts a shadow to the left. Streams of gas leaving the nebula are funneled by a strong magnetic field. Bright spots in the Horsehead Nebula's base are young stars just in the process of forming. Light takes about 1500 years to reach us from the Horsehead Nebula.
Orion
80ED, WO 0.8 FR, with Astronomik CLS
Filter
Massapoag
Pond Observatory Lunenburg, MA - Oct. 2007 @ 2:00
AM EST
Notes
Horse
Head and Flame Nebula B33 and NGC2024
I
thank Mittens (our cat) for this one, she woke me
up about 1:30am and it was clear!