The Horsehead Nebula (B33) at bottom, below the star Zeta Orionis (aka Alnitak, the left star of Orion’s Belt), plus NGC 2024, the Flame Nebula, above Zeta. The field includes Messier 78 at upper left, a reflection nebula crossed by lanes of dark nebulosity, plus the smaller NGC 2071 above the main M78 nebula. This is a stack of 12 x 6 minute exposures with the filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800 through the TMB 92mm apo refractor at f/4.4 with the Borg. 0.85x field flattener/reducer. Taken from New Mexico, Nov 17, 2014.
The California Nebula, NGC 1499, by the blue star Zeta Persei, aka Menkib, which likely illuminates the nebula. The California Nebula was discovered in 1884 by E.E. Barnard. It lies about 1000 light years away. This is a stack of 9 x 6 minute exposures with the filter modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 800 and through the TMB 92mm apo refractor at f/4.4 with the Borg 0.85x field flattener/reducer, shot from New Mexico Nov 16, 2014.
The Heart Nebula (at right, aka IC 1805) and the Soul Nebula (at left, aka IC 1848, ad also the Foetus Nebula), in Cassiopeia. Just right of upper centre is the open star cluster NGC 1027. The star cluster in the middle of the Heart Nebula is called Melotte 15. The patch of nebulosity at upper right detached from the rest is NGC 896. The field is filled with numerous other clusters and dark nebulas from lesser known catalogs. The field lies right on the Galactic Equator, with most objects here located in the Perseus spiral arm, the next one out from ours, some 6000 to 7500 light years away. This is a 3-segment mosaic, taken Nov 15 and 16, 2014 from New Mexico. Each segment is a stack of 12 x 6 minute exposures with the filter-modified Canon 5D MkII camera at ISO 800, through the TMB 92mm apo refractor at f/4.4 using the Borg 0.85x field flattener/reducer. Stitched in Photoshop.
