Zeta Orionis
Nebulosity Complex in Orion

 

            
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 Just above
            center in this image is the 1.9 magnitude star Zeta Orionis,
            the left most belt star in Orion. Just below the deep red strip
            of nebulosity is IC434, which has one of the highest ratios of
            Hbeta to Halpha in a nebula in the sky. The dark notch in this
            nebula is the famed Horse Head Nebula, or Barnard 33, and elusive
            object that causes visual observers much frustration because
            it is so difficult to see.

            
To the upper right
            of Zeta an oddly colored nebula with a dark band running down
            its center is NGC2024, the "tank tracks" nebula. It
            has a very large ratio of dust to gas, and us usually not helped
            by nebular fitlers because of this balance. Look carefully and
            you can see some of the dust on its outer fringes lighting up
            blue. Several smaller blue reflection nebula appear in this field
            South of zeta, being reflection nebula surrounding hot blue stars.

Lens:  Stellarvue SV80s at f/4.8
Camera: Canon XTi Hutech Modified
Mount:  Home made GEM with Byers Starmaster Drive
Location:  Happy Jack, Arizona
Elevation:  6800 ft.
Sky:  Seeing  8/10, Transparency 10/10
Outside Temperature:  35F
Processing Tools:  Photoshop CS2, Maxim DSLR
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