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This relatively deep
shot has a composition I have been trying to get right for many
years! It is north up and very carefully frames the brilliant
O type super giant star Zeta Orionis at lower right, the NGC2024
Flame nebula in the center, and the amazing IC432, and its attendant
IC431 nebula to the upper right.
There is so much interstellar
dust in this field, the primary nebula is strongly tinted a golden
color, rather than the reds one would expect from this emission
complex. Deep running dust lanes cut through the nebula forming
a network of veins light years long bisecting this complex object.
The outermost regions are tinted blue from reflection of Zeta.
To the upper right are
two interesting objects. IC432 is an amazing combination of a
red hydrogen cloud interspersed with gorgeous blue tendrils of
reflection nebulosity. This object is one of the most unique
of its type in the entire sky. To its right is a faint blue reflection
nebula untainted by hydrogen called IC431.
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