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The Orion molecular cloud is a massive, dynamic stellar nursery located roughly 1,300 to 1,500 light-years from Earth.
Some Highlights of this Area
In the center of the image are the three stars that make up Orion’s Bely, the Horsehead Nebula and the Flame Nebula. To the upper right is the Great Orion Nebula and just left of that, the Running Man Nebula.
This image is a mosaic of 9 panels taken over the course of 3 years (each December, January and February).
Technical Details
Telescope: William Optics Zenithstar 61 II APO Refractor
Auto Focus: ZWO Electronic Auto Focuser
Astronomy Camera: ZWO ASI071MC Pro
Filter: Optolong UV-IR cut filter; Each Panel: 600 exposures @ 60 seconds each (10 hours) — Palm Springs, CA
Filter: Antlia ALP-T Dual Narrowband Ha/Oiii Filter; Each Panel: 84 exposures @ 5 minutes each (7 hours) — Palm Springs, CA
Total Integration Time: Each Panel = 17 hours; Entire Mosaic 153 Hours
Auto Guiding: William Optics Uniguide 32mm Guide Scope
Auto Guiding Camera: ZWO ASI120MM Mini Guide Camera
Auto Guiding Software: PHD2
Telescope Mount: Celestron CGX Equatorial Mount
Telescope Computer: BeeLink GK-55 Mini PC / Windows 10 Pro
Wireless Communication: GL-iNEt Beryl Travel Router
Telescope Control & Image Capture Software: Nighttime Imaging ‘N’ Astronomy (N.I.N.A.)
Image Integration and Mosaic Software: Astro Pixel Process, by Aries Productions
Image Post Processing Software: PixInsight, by Pleiades Astrophoto
Images captured: Palm Springs, CA during 2022-2024. Dark sky classification = Bright suburban sky (Bortle 6)