The Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33) is a dark nebula in the Orion constellation. About 1,500 light-years from Earth, its distinctive horsehead shape stands out against the glowing hydrogen gas of IC 434, which is ionised by the nearby bright star Sigma Orionis (the bright star above the horsehead on the picture). Dense clouds of dust block the background light, creating the iconic silhouette. As part of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, it is a region of active star formation.
To the left of The Horsehead Nebula, The Flame Nebula (NGC 2024) is a bright emission nebula, about 1,400 light-years away. Its fiery glow comes from Alnitak’s ultraviolet radiation illuminating hydrogen gas. Dark dust filaments create striking contrasts, and the nebula is an active star-forming region within the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex.
14h20 of integration time with 3 setups (ASKAR FRA300 & 400 refractors / ZWO 2600 MM/MC 533 MC)
– 50 min of Luminance
– 3h20 of RGB
– 10h10 of H-alpha