The Horsehead Nebula - IC434

This is my last image of 2016.  I took a break from imaging Messier objects.  It shows the Horsehead Nebula (IC 434, a.k.a. Barnard 33) and the Flame Nebula (NGC 2024) captured from the Happy Frog Observatory at my home in Monroe, CT.

The Horsehead Nebula is located just to the south of the star Alnitak and is approximately 1500 light years from Earth.  The name comes from shape of its swirling cloud of dark dust and gases which resembles a horse's head when viewed from Earth.  Very large telescope images show this very well. The reddish color is from hydrogen gas behind the Horsehead Nebula which is ionized by the nearby bright star Sigma Orionis (source: wikipedia).

The Flame Nebula is an emission nebula is about 900 to 1,500 light-years away.  Again, the bright star Alnitak is responsible as it shines energetic ultraviolet light into the Flame.  The light knocks electrons away from the clouds of hydrogen gas that reside there. Much of the glow results when the electrons and ionized hydrogen recombine (source; wikipedia).

More Processing

Sharpen-StarTools

Un-sharpened

Horsehead Nebula (IC 434, a.k.a. Barnard 33) and Flame Nebula (NGC 2024)
Location: Happy Frog Observatory, Monroe, CT
Date/Time: 12/29/16 and 12/30/16, 11:45 pm
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i(a), Backyard EOS
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 600mm
f/7.5
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount
Filter: Astrodon UV/IR, Astronomik Clip-UHC
Autoguiding: QHY-5L-II-M attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope with Helical Focuser
Exposure: 55 x 180 sec (2 hrs 45 min)
ISO: 1600
Temp: 25 C
Post Processing: Deep Sky Stacker, Photoshop, Lightroom, Astrophotography Tools, StarTools