IC434 & NGC2024 Emission Nebulae

Approximately 1,600 light years away in the constellation Orion is a vast emission nebula known as IC434. It is located just south of Alnitak, the left-most star in Orion's belt. This red glowing gas displays an intricate pattern of clouds and streamers, and part of it is obscured by the famous Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33), a dark region of dust and non-luminous gas.

NGC2024, the Flame Nebula (lower-left), is an emission nebula near Alnitak. A cluster of hot new stars inside it, but hidden by dust, emit intense ultraviolet light that ionizes the hydrogen gas, causing the atoms to glow red.

This image captures a portion of IC434's nebulosity, the Horsehead, and the Flame. North is toward the left.

See IC434's extended nebulosity



Exposure  • 11¾ hours @ -20°C
   ☞ 46 H-α (red) @ 900 seconds each
   ☞ 57 full-color @ 15 seconds each to adjust star color
 • Dusk flats
 • Camera position angle: 255°
Processing  • Calibration, registeraton, and stretching with PixInsight
 • Final tweaking in Photoshop CS6
Date and Location  • January 5/6/10, 2019
 • Louisa County, Virginia, USA
Equipment
 • TMB-130SS APO refractor @ f/7 on an A-P 1200 mount
 • ZWO ASI-1600MC Pro color camera
 • Guided with an ST-402 camera on a 60mm f/5 scope
 • Imaging and autoguiding with MaxIm DL 6.20
 • Automated image acquisition with ACP Observatory Control

IC434 extended nebuloity

The cloud of glowing hydrogen gas extends far toward the northwest of (above) the Horsehead. Here is my attempt to capture this faint nebulositty.

Exposure  • 12½ hours @ -20°C
   ☞ 50 H-α (red) @ 900 seconds each
   ☞ 12 full-color @ 15 seconds each to adjust star color
 • Dusk flats
 • Camera position angle: 262°
Processing  • Calibration, registeraton, and stretching with PixInsight
 • Final tweaking in Photoshop CS6
Date and Location  • January 6 & 10, 2021
 • Louisa County, Virginia, USA
Equipment
 • TMB-130SS APO refractor @ f/7 on an A-P 1200 mount
 • ZWO ASI-1600MC Pro color camera
 • Guided with an ST-402 camera on a 60mm f/5 scope
 • Imaging and autoguiding with MaxIm DL 6.20
 • Automated image acquisition with ACP Observatory Control


The Orion Region

This region of the winter sky contains several beautiful deep-space objects in addition to the Horsehead and Flame Nebulae pictured above.

Hover your mouse over a yellow arrow below to see the name of an object. Click on the arrow to see my image of it.



Updated May 23, 2023