Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Orion (Ori)  ·  Contains:  46 Ori)  ·  48 Ori  ·  50 Ori)  ·  Flame Nebula  ·  IC 426  ·  IC 431  ·  IC 432  ·  IC 434  ·  IC 435  ·  NGC 2023  ·  NGC 2024  ·  Orion B  ·  Part of the constellation Orion (Ori)  ·  The star Alnilam (ε Ori  ·  The star Alnitak (ζ Ori  ·  The star σ Ori
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Flame and Horsehead Nebulae Ha + LRGB March 2023, Randy Reece
Flame and Horsehead Nebulae Ha + LRGB March 2023
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Flame and Horsehead Nebulae Ha + LRGB March 2023

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
Flame and Horsehead Nebulae Ha + LRGB March 2023, Randy Reece
Flame and Horsehead Nebulae Ha + LRGB March 2023
Powered byPixInsight

Flame and Horsehead Nebulae Ha + LRGB March 2023

Equipment

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Acquisition details

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Description

The Flame Nebula (NGC 2024) and The Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33)

Captured over numerous nights (including a near full moon with the Ha) February and March, 2023 from Canfield Junction, Ontario

I decided to work on this old classic (for me anyway) in an attempt to get around 20 hours of exposure time on this target, and get some usable narrowband data to see what that might reveal..
Unfortunately, the weather didn't play nice and weeks went by without a clear night. Had to settle with just over 12 to work with...

This time around, I really like the detail that I pulled out of the Horsehead, Flame Nebulae and also the 'curtain' behind the Horsehead...I think the extra Ha data (5 hours!) really helped to expose the faint fuzzies in the background...

Unfortunately, I think I've reached the limits with this imaging train, as the camera isn't a good match for this scope. Those halos can probably be edited out, but it shows that my optics have...issues.
Changes coming this spring, with a QHY 183M for the little RedCat.
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Technical Details (Tekkies):

Total Exposure Time: 11 Hours, 30 minutes (includes 5hrs Ha)

Luminance Filter - 100 X 90 seconds
Red Filter - 40 X 120 seconds
Blue Filter - 40 X 120 seconds
Green Filter - 40 X 120 seconds
Ha Filter - 60 X 300 seconds
30 dark frames, 100 dark frames and 100 dark flat frames

Telescope: William Optics RedCat 51, F4.9, 250mm Focal Length

Imaging System: ZWO ASI1600MM Pro mono CMOS camera, running at -10° C-
ZWO 8 position filter wheel, Baader Planetarium LRGB Ha filters

Mount: Sky Watcher NEQ6 Pro Go-To Computerized GEM mount

Peripherals:
-Starwave 50mm guide scope, ASI120M (Mono) Guide Camera
-Kendrick Firefly Dew Heaters
-ZWO EAF (Electronic Automatic Focuser)
-Pegasus Pocket Power Box
-SkyShed Roll-Off-Roof (ROR) Observatory

Captured using ASCOM, EQMOD, APT (Astrophotography Tool), Stellarium, PHD2

Processed with Deep SkyStacker, StarTools and GIMP

Clear Skies

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Flame and Horsehead Nebulae Ha + LRGB March 2023, Randy Reece