IC434 - The Horsehead Nebula (Ha)

narrowband nebulae

Located near Orion’s belt (specifically, the easternmost star in the belt, Alnitak), the Horsehead Nebula is about 1,500 light years away. While the Horsehead Nebula itself is quite large, the entire region contains many nebulae – the Flame Nebula, the Orion Nebula, Barnard’s Loop, and many others.

This image is only Ha (Hydrogen Alpha). 18 15-minute exposures with a QSI683 camera, 11” Edge SCT with .7x reducer. In its more natural color, the nebula glows a deep red.

Resolution ........ 0.571 arcsec/pix
Rotation .......... -81.175 deg
Focal ............. 1949.01 mm
Pixel size ........ 5.40 um
Field of view ..... 23' 34.4" x 31' 36.8"
Image center ...... RA: 05 40 56.105  Dec: -02 21 40.89