IC434 Sandu Val Cosmin.jpg

Barnard 33 (Horsehead Nebula), IC434
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First light for my new Starizona Hyperstar v4 C11 f/1.9   
Integration of 22 minutes + 30 minutes RGB SwEd80
4.02.2021 / 3.03.2021
HD Image: 4486x3420: http://www.frenetic.ro/astro/IC434_Barnard_33_SVCosmin.jpg

This capture represents the first set of Ha lights with the Baader HighSpeed f/2 filter and practically the first capture with the large Hyperstar 4 C11 telescope.
It was made on February 4 at a temperature of -12 ° degrees but with perfectly clear skies.
The color capture was made using a SW Ed80 telescope and a Color camera, on March 3, through the clouds and with Orion located at 25 °degrees above the Bucharest area (SQML 18).
The color signal input was very weak, the processing being a real challenge, but I managed to bring a little color in this exposure.
I waited to catch at least one more good night for astrophotography, without the Moon, but so far without success.
So I decided to make this project public.

The Horsehead Nebula, officially known as Barnard 33 (the object IC 434 designates the last emissive nebula in the background), is an obscure nebula located in the constellation Orion, below Zeta Orionis (Alnitak), the easternmost star in the belt of the constellation Orion.
This nebula, located 1,500 light-years away, was first discovered in 1888 by the American Williamina Fleming, on a photographic plate taken at the Harvard College Observatory.
The Horsehead Nebula is easily recognizable by its horsehead shape, which gave it its name. Behind the nebula is hydrogen, which, ionized by the nearby bright star, Sigma Orionis, turns red.
The darkness of the horse's head is caused by the presence of a dense cloud of gas and dust. The latter strongly absorbs the visible radiation emitted by the ionized gas in the background (red, in the photo).
At the base of the head are young stars in formation. The Horsehead Nebula is part of a large dark molecular cloud that is also known as Barnard 33.
The reddish brightness that surrounds it comes from hydrogen ionized by the nearby star σ Orionis, which is located behind the Horsehead Nebula.

Objects: Barnard 33, IC434, NGC 2023, NGC 2024, Alnitak Star ζOri
Apparent magnitude Barnard 33: 6.8
Distance to Barnard 33: 1.37 light years
Distance to IC434: 1500 light years
Constellation: Orion

Equipment:
Imaging telescopes: Celestron Edge HD 1100  
                    SkyWatcher Ed80 480mm
Focal reducers: Starizona Hyperstar v4 C11 f/1.9
Mount: EQ6
Imaging cameras: ZWO ASI 1600MM Cooled/Ha
                 ZWO ASI 294MC Cooled/RGB
Guiding camera: No guiding
Integration (frames): ASI 1600MMC (Ha) -22 minutes (22x60s)
                      ASI 294MC  (RGB) - 30min (6x300s)
Filters: Baader Ha HighSpeed f/2 Filter 2''
Darks / Bias / Flats: 50/50/50
Weather: Temperatures of -12.5 °degrees / -7 °degrees
Data source: Backyard (Romania)

Image made by Sandu Val Cosmin
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Clear sky !

Superb details.