Horsehead Nebula

Horsehead Nebula

In Astrophotography by Matt Shetzer

The Horsehead Nebula in LRGB

Click image for detailed view

The Horsehead Nebula is a beautiful small dark nebula in the constellation of Orion. The nebula is located just to the south of Alnitak, the easternmost star of Orion’s Belt, and is part of the much larger Orion molecular cloud complex. It appears within the southern region of the dense dust cloud known as Lynds 1630, along the edge of the much larger, active star-forming H II region called IC 434. The Horsehead Nebula is approximately 1,375 light-years from Earth and is one of the most identifiable nebulae because of its resemblance to a horse’s head.

Object Horsehead Nebula
Link https://www.shetzers.com/horsehead-nebula/
Wiki Link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horsehead_Nebula
Hemisphere Northern
Constellation Orion
Other Names contained in image Barnard 33
Imaging telescopes or lenses Takahashi FSQ -106ED4
Imaging cameras QHY268M
Mounts Software Bisque Paramount MYT
Focal reducers None
Software Software Bisque The Sky X, N.I.N.A., PHD Lab PHD2, Viking,  PixInsight, Photoshop, Lightroom
Filters Astrodon LRGB Gen2 E-Series Tru-Balance  36mm unmounted. Chroma Technology Narrowband 3nm Ha, SII, OIII – 36mm Unmounted
Accessories Moonlite NightCrawler 35 focuser, Maxdome II, Digital Loggers Pro Switch, Sky Alert Weather Station, Pegagsus Ultimate Powerbox v2, Starlight Xpress filter wheel, Alnitak Flip-Flat
Guiding Telescope or Lenses Orion 60mm Guide Scope
Guiding Camera ZWO ASI290MM Mini
Imaging Dates 11/15/22,11/16/22,11/19/22,11/20/22,11/22/22,11/23/22,11/24/22,11/25/22,11/26/22,12/1/22,12/18/22,12/19/22
Frames Luminance: 67×300″  (5.6h)  Gain 25, Photographic Mode, Temp -25C, Bin 1×1
Red: 55×300″ (4.6h) Gain 25, Photographic Mode, Temp -25C, Bin 1×1
Green: 51×300″ (4.3h) Gain 25, Photographic Mode, Temp -25C, Bin 1×1
Blue:53×300″ (4.4h) Gain 25, Photographic Mode, Temp -25C, Bin 1×1
Ha: 45×600″  (7.5h)  Gain 60, High Gain Mode, Temp -25C, Bin 1×1
Integration 26.3h
Darks 50
Flats 20 per Filter
Flat Darks 40
Bortle Dark-Sky Scale: 2
RA center 85.31588382
DEC center -2.329763943
Pixel scale 3.76
Resolution 6280 x 4210
Locations Sirus 3.5m Observatory, Carbondale Colorado
Data source Backyard
Seeing Average
Post Processing Techniques PixInsight to Photoshop to Lightroom
Horsehead Nebula was last modified: January 23rd, 2023 by Matt Shetzer