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LDN1613
LDN 1613 – The Cone Nebula in the NGC 2264 Region
LDN 1613, also known as the Cone Nebula, is a dark absorption nebula in the constellation Monoceros. It consists of a dense cloud of dust and cold molecular gas projected against a brighter emission nebula in the background. This is why, in images, it appears as a dark cone rising from the red glow of hydrogen.
This region is part of the extensive NGC 2264 complex, which also includes the Christmas Tree Cluster, the Fox Fur Nebula, and young star-forming regions. The Cone Nebula itself was discovered by William Herschel on December 26, 1785, and catalogued as H V.27. The designation LDN 1613 comes much later, from Beverly T. Lynds’ 1962 catalogue of dark nebulae, compiled from photographic plates of the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey.
The nebula lies approximately 2,500 to 2,700 light-years from Earth. The dark pillar itself is about 7 light-years long, while the broader NGC 2264 complex covers a much larger area of the sky.
What is particularly interesting is that the cone shape is not accidental. It is formed by the intense radiation and stellar winds from young, hot stars, which gradually blow away and erode the surrounding gas. Denser parts of the cloud resist this process for longer and form dark pillars similar to the famous Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula. Inside such regions, new stars — and later even planetary systems — may be born.
In the image, the contrast between the red light of ionized hydrogen, the dark dust structures, and the bluish reflection regions, where dust reflects the light of young stars, stands out very clearly. The result is a striking example of how young stars are not only born from nebulae, but also gradually reshape them with their radiation.
I started imaging this winter-sky object well into the spring season because I wanted to test the Sloan i′ filter on a suitable target. Although the conditions were no longer ideal, I still managed to collect at least some data — and this is what emerged from it.
LRGB + Hα + NIR version
Equipment:
SkyWatcher NEQ6 Pro, GSO Newtonian astrograph 200/800 — used as 200/600 at f/3 — Starizona Nexus 0.75× coma corrector, ToupTek ATR585M, AFW-M filter wheel, ToupTek LRGB filters, Baader SHO Ultra-Highspeed f/2 3.5–4 nm filters, Baader Sloan i′ filter, Gemini EAF focuser, TS Off-Axis Guider with Player One Ceres-C guide camera, SVBony 241 power hub, DIY Raspberry Pi Pico flat-panel flap, automated observatory shed controlled by my own OCS — Observatory Control System.
Software:
NINA, Astro Pixel Processor, GraXpert, PixInsight, Adobe Photoshop.
Acquisition:
33 × 180 s R
33 × 180 s G
33 × 180 s B
75 × 120 s L
56 × 600 s Hα
52 × 120 s Sloan i′
Flats, master darks, master dark flats
Gain: 150
Offset: 300
Imaging dates: March 16 – April 25, 2026
Location: Belá nad Cirochou, northeastern Slovakia
Sky quality: Bortle 4
LDN1613
LDN 1613 – The Cone Nebula in the NGC 2264 Region
LDN 1613, also known as the Cone Nebula, is a dark absorption nebula in the constellation Monoceros. It consists of a dense cloud of dust and cold molecular gas projected against a brighter emission nebula in the background. This is why, in images, it appears as a dark cone rising from the red glow of hydrogen.
This region is part of the extensive NGC 2264 complex, which also includes the Christmas Tree Cluster, the Fox Fur Nebula, and young star-forming regions. The Cone Nebula itself was discovered by William Herschel on December 26, 1785, and catalogued as H V.27. The designation LDN 1613 comes much later, from Beverly T. Lynds’ 1962 catalogue of dark nebulae, compiled from photographic plates of the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey.
The nebula lies approximately 2,500 to 2,700 light-years from Earth. The dark pillar itself is about 7 light-years long, while the broader NGC 2264 complex covers a much larger area of the sky.
What is particularly interesting is that the cone shape is not accidental. It is formed by the intense radiation and stellar winds from young, hot stars, which gradually blow away and erode the surrounding gas. Denser parts of the cloud resist this process for longer and form dark pillars similar to the famous Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula. Inside such regions, new stars — and later even planetary systems — may be born.
In the image, the contrast between the red light of ionized hydrogen, the dark dust structures, and the bluish reflection regions, where dust reflects the light of young stars, stands out very clearly. The result is a striking example of how young stars are not only born from nebulae, but also gradually reshape them with their radiation.
I started imaging this winter-sky object well into the spring season because I wanted to test the Sloan i′ filter on a suitable target. Although the conditions were no longer ideal, I still managed to collect at least some data — and this is what emerged from it.
LRGB + Hα + NIR version
Equipment:
SkyWatcher NEQ6 Pro, GSO Newtonian astrograph 200/800 — used as 200/600 at f/3 — Starizona Nexus 0.75× coma corrector, ToupTek ATR585M, AFW-M filter wheel, ToupTek LRGB filters, Baader SHO Ultra-Highspeed f/2 3.5–4 nm filters, Baader Sloan i′ filter, Gemini EAF focuser, TS Off-Axis Guider with Player One Ceres-C guide camera, SVBony 241 power hub, DIY Raspberry Pi Pico flat-panel flap, automated observatory shed controlled by my own OCS — Observatory Control System.
Software:
NINA, Astro Pixel Processor, GraXpert, PixInsight, Adobe Photoshop.
Acquisition:
33 × 180 s R
33 × 180 s G
33 × 180 s B
75 × 120 s L
56 × 600 s Hα
52 × 120 s Sloan i′
Flats, master darks, master dark flats
Gain: 150
Offset: 300
Imaging dates: March 16 – April 25, 2026
Location: Belá nad Cirochou, northeastern Slovakia
Sky quality: Bortle 4