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2017 Mar. 25 ~ The Zeta Orionis (Flame) & Horsehead Nebulae in Orion

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Photographed at Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, between 20.12 and 20.37 EDT

(285 km by road north of Toronto)

* Altitude of nebulae at time of exposures: 37°

* Temperature -3° C.

 

* Total exposure time: 7 minutes

* 714 mm focal length telescope

 

For a version of this photo WITH LABELS, click on your screen to the RIGHT of the photo, or click here:

www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/32999649413

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Description:

 

Among the most photographed and examined areas of the sky is this region surrounding Alnilak, one of the three bright stars in the Belt of Orion.

 

The Horsehead Nebula: The famous Horsehead Nebula, which was first photographed and identified in 1888 by Scottish astronomer Williamina Fleming at the Harvard Observatory, is a foreground cloud of dark gas that is seen in silhouette against a background red hydrogen gas cloud.

 

Read more about the Horsehead Nebula here:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horsehead_Nebula

 

... and here:

www.space.com/16528-horsehead-nebula.html

 

The Zeta Orionis (Flame) Nebula: The large, intricate pale pink nebula to the lower right of the brightest star is the Flame Nebula (NGC 2024), which is located between 900 and 1,500 light years from our solar system.

 

For more about this nebula, click here:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame_Nebula

 

The Orion Molecular Cloud Complex: Both the Flame and the Horsehead Nebulae are part of this huge star-forming region in Orion. Read more here:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_Molecular_Cloud_Complex

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Technical information:

 

Nikon D810a camera body on Stellarvue SVR102T apochromatic carbon fiber refracting telescope, mounted on Astrophysics 1100GTO equatorial mount using an ADM Accessories side-by-side saddle

 

Seven stacked frames; each frame:

714 mm focal length

ISO 4000; 1 minute exposure at f/7; unguided

(with LENR - long exposure noise reduction)

 

Subframes registered in RegiStar;

Stacked and processed in Photoshop CS6 (levels, brightness, contrast, colour balance, sharpening)

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Uploaded on April 3, 2017