This is a portrait of Orion the Hunter with exposures and processing to emphasize the complex and colourful array of bright and dark nebulas within it
This is a portrait of Orion the Hunter with exposures and processing to emphasize the complex and colourful array of bright and dark nebulas within its boundaries. The largest feature is the arc of Barnard's Loop, a possible supernova remnant or stellar wind-blown bubble that encircles Orion. It is officially catalogued as Sharpless 2-276, and is usually plotted as just the easternmost arc, though it extends down and below Orion, all the way over to blue Rigel at bottom right. To the right of Rigel is the blue Witch Head Nebula, IC 2118, a reflection nebula lit by Rigel. Fainter blue nebulosity extends above it. Below the three stars of the Belt of Orion just below centre is the nebulosity in the Sword of Orion that includes the dark Horsehead Nebula and below that the very bright Orion Nebula complex, Messier 42/M43, plus the bluish Running Man Nebula, above it, catalogued as NGC 1973-5-7. The Belt and Sword are wrapped in other fainter red emission nebulas, patches of blue reflection nebulas, all amid a backround of dark yellow-brown dust clouds. The latter are densest above the left star of the Belt, Alnitak, with a dark lane containing the small but bright reflection nebula Messier 78. Just above Alnitak is the orange Flame Nebula. At top is the large circular emission nebula Sharpless 2-264, surrounding the head of Orion and the star Meissa and a loose open star cluster Collinder 69. The nebula has become known as the Angelfish Nebula. It sits above orange Betelgeuse (at left) and blue-white Bellatrix (at right), marking the shoulders of Orion. This is a stack of 42 x 2-minute exposures with the rare Samyang RF85mm lens stopped down to , on the Canon EOS Ra camera at ISO 800. The lens was equipped with a 77mm Nisi Clear Night broadband light pollution reduction filter which helps improve contrast and reduce sky gradients. The camera was on the Star Adventurer 2i tracker for tracked but unguided exposures over 84 minutes. Taken from home on a
Size: 4480px × 6720px
Photo credit: © Alan Dyer / VWPics / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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