The Witch Head Nebula

[crimbfighter]

I shot this over a week ago, but just got around to editing it. The Witch Head Nebula! Located in the constellation Orion, this is a target I've wanted to shoot for a few years. It was a much fainter target than I was expecting and had to double my imaging time on it to get a decent result. I liked composing this one with the bright star as it looks like the Witch is transfixed on a dazzling bright object. The faint redness in the background is some of the stray hydrogen gas that permeates this region of the sky. If you look closely in the upper left third of the frame, those bright spots that don't quite look like nice round stars are actually very distant background galaxies!

-William Optics RedCat51 telescope, 250mm focal length at f/4.9
-ZWO ASI2600MC Pro cooled camera (aps-c sized sensor)
-ZWO EAF focuser
-iOptron HAE43 Strain Wave Gear mount
-Optolong L-Pro light polution filter
-Pegasus Astro Mini Powerbox
-Orion 60mm guide scope
-Orion Starshoot autoguider
-Controlled with a MeLE Quieter3Q mini PC running Windows

Software
-Sequence Generator Pro for acquisition
-PixInsight and Photoshop for image processing
-PHD2 guiding software

-180sec subexposures
-calibrated with 15 each darks, flats, and dark flats
-Total integration time of 7.1hrs

 

[Jeff15]

More amazing photography....

 

[slat]

Wonderful image.

 

[crimbfighter]

More amazing photography....

Thank you!

Wonderful image.

Thanks!

 

[jeffashman]

Beautiful!

 

[otherprof]

I shot this over a week ago, but just got around to editing it. The Witch Head Nebula! Located in the constellation Orion, this is a target I've wanted to shoot for a few years. It was a much fainter target than I was expecting and had to double my imaging time on it to get a decent result. I liked composing this one with the bright star as it looks like the Witch is transfixed on a dazzling bright object. The faint redness in the background is some of the stray hydrogen gas that permeates this region of the sky. If you look closely in the upper left third of the frame, those bright spots that don't quite look like nice round stars are actually very distant background galaxies!

-William Optics RedCat51 telescope, 250mm focal length at f/4.9
-ZWO ASI2600MC Pro cooled camera (aps-c sized sensor)
-ZWO EAF focuser
-iOptron HAE43 Strain Wave Gear mount
-Optolong L-Pro light polution filter
-Pegasus Astro Mini Powerbox
-Orion 60mm guide scope
-Orion Starshoot autoguider
-Controlled with a MeLE Quieter3Q mini PC running Windows

Software
-Sequence Generator Pro for acquisition
-PixInsight and Photoshop for image processing
-PHD2 guiding software

-180sec subexposures
-calibrated with 15 each darks, flats, and dark flats
-Total integration time of 7.1hrs

View attachment 270656

Wonderful image!

 

[wobe]

Beautiful.

 

[denum]

Simply awe inspiring!