Russell Croman Astrophotography  

 

 

Nebula NGC 2170


About This Photograph

This enigmatic and colorful region in the constellation of Monoceros (the Unicorn) displays a wonderful mix of nebula types. The bluish areas are reflection nebulas, so named because they reflect the light of the bright stars within them. The reddish areas are emission nebulas, and shine by a different mechanism, fluorescence: ultraviolet light from bright, hot stars excites hydrogren and other gas atoms in the nebula, which then emit light of their own in specific colors. Finally, the filamentous, inky black area constitutes a dark nebula, and is seen in sillhouette because of the light beyond that it blocks.

Other photographs of this object:

  • Robert Gendler
  • Adam Block
  • Stefan Seip
  •  

    Technical Details

    Optics:20" f/8 RCOS Ritchey-Chrétien Cassegrain
    Camera:SBIG STL-11000M
    Mount:Software Bisque Paramount ME
    Filters:SBIG Standard LRGB
    Dates/Times:various dates in January and February, 2006 and 2007
    Location:Dimension Point Observatory, Mayhill, New Mexico
    Exposure Details:LRGB = 6:4:2:4 hours (each frame; two-frame mosaic)
    Acquisition:MaxIm DL/CCD 4, TheSky6, CCDAutoPilot3
    Processing:CCDStack, MaxIm DL/CCD 4, Photoshop CS2