B33: The Horsehead Nebula

Click on image for larger version.


 Chess, anyone?

This is the most famous example of a dark nebula, that is, an opaque cloud of dust that obscures a bright nebula behind it. The Horsehead is about a lightyear across, and about 1200 lightyears away. It is backlit by IC 434, a red cloud of energized hydrogen which is illuminated by Alnitak (Zeta Orionis), one of the belt stars of Orion the Hunter.

This object images nicely, but is extremely difficult to see in an eyepiece. Click HERE to see a medium resolution to will fit on most monitors.

Equipment

16in RC Optical Systems telescope Operating at f/8
SBIG ST10XME CCD camera with color filter wheel

L R G B color production was used to create this image.

Luminance = 80 minutes binned 1x1
 Red = 20 minutes binned 2x2
 Green = 20 minutes binned 2x2
 Blue = 20 minutes binned 2x2

Minimum credit line: Jennifer Dawson and Louis Goldring/Adam Block/NOAO/ AURA/NSF

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Updated: 1/06/2003