NGC2023
Images
This is Orion's jeweled belt, the region around leftmost star Alnitak that features the Flame and Horsehead nebulas. This is just the luminance information and shows just how rich, complex, and structured the region is.
2023-11-30
It's a popular and iconic region: the first star on the 'belt' of the Orion constellation, Alnitak. This beautiful, bright star is flanked by the distinctive Flame Nebula and easily recognizable Horsehead Nebula. I collected two nights of data with the goal of creating an image that captures the delicate details of the dust and gases that make up the nebulae in this area.
2023-11-27
My first deep space photograph from the new place. Orion was absolutely stunning this morning as it hung low in the horizon. This was pure camera equipment only - no tracking. Just tripod, Sony Alpha 6300, and an F/2 135mm Samyang lens.
2023-09-12
Fire and Water: IC434 and NGC2023
I spent several evenings imaging this target to bring out the detail that surrounds the horse, including wispy filaments of interstellar dust and the rippling red curtain behind it.
2023-03-16
I have a lot of images that target this nebula, but this is a favorite of mine. I processed it with the goal of preserving as much detail in the dusty foreground as possible.
2023-03-16
NGC2023 and the Horse for 2023
To bring in 2023, I took a high resolution of NGC2023, an often overlooked nebulae that sprawls just beneath the famous Horsehead nebula (IC434.
2023-01-02
The scene of the horse and the flame has always been one of my favorites even as one of the most popular targets. It contains a bit of everything; dust and dark nebulae, reflection and emission nebulae, bright stars and brilliant colors. I grabbed some extra time on this target last night. Here's my latest incarnation.
2023-02-11
An Optolong L-Extreme filter helped bring out the rich red that gives this deep sky object the lesser known name of Flame Nebula.
2022-03-22
Beautiful and brilliant colors abound in the swirls of intergalactic dust lit by stellar jewels in the region of constellation Orion's belt.
2022-01-25
This classic pairing of well-named nebulae Horsehead and Flame is one of my favorite regions in the night sky. It has a bit of everything, from a brilliantly shining star to bright tongues of heat blazing from the Flame Nebula, to the horse head's shadow casting a silhouette on billowing intergalactic dust. I'll keep improving my technique for this target!
2022-11-09
Took ~350 4-second 210mm of Orion's belt: Alnitak (with NGC2024 the Flame Nebula and IC434 the Horesehead Nebula), Alnilam and Mintaka. First pic of 2022!
2021-12-31
IC434 NGC2024: The Horse and the Flame
IC434 illuminates the nearby Horsehead Nebula that rears its head in silhouette. Dominating left is the triple star system Alnitak with its main superhot blue giant centerpiece that adorns the undulating waves of NGC2024, the Flame Nebula.
2021-09-09
The Easternmost jewel on Orion's belt is brilliant Alnitak, a bright star that bombards NGC 2024 The Flame Nebula with ultraviolet light, causing the gases to glow and form a brilliant orange flame. Nearby, a cloud of dust is illuminated from behind by emission nebula IC434 to create a strikingly horsehead-like silhouette.
2021-12-02
IC434: The Nebula Behind the Horsehead
Although we tend to refer to IC434 as the Horsehead Nebula, it's actually an emission nebula hidden behind the Horsehead nebula. The latter is made up of dark dust that is illuminated by the former. This framing honors the beauty and grace of the horse's silhouette, but I'm working on a mosaic that captures the broader area to include the Flame Nebula (NGC2024).
2021-11-01