A nice field of emission and reflection nebulas in Monocerous, with NGC 2264 the Christmas Tree Cluster area including the Cone Nebula on the lower edge of the main area of nebulosity. The yellowish star cluster below centre is Trumpler 5. Hubble's Variable Nebula is in the field (NGC 2261) but is very small at lower left of centre. This is a stack of 5 x 12 and 2 x 10 minute exposures under sometimes hazy skies, with the Borg 77mm astrographic apo refractor at f/4.3 (330mm focal length) and filter-modified Canon 5D Mark II at ISO 800. Taken from Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia, March 2014.
The NGC 2301 area in Monoceros with a 135mm telephoto lens to simulate a binocular field of view. Open cluster NGC 2301 is bright clump below and left of centre. Includes Rosette Nebula at top right, and smaller fainter nebulas, from left to right and up: Sharpless 2-284, Sh2-282 and Sh2-280. Faint yellow cluster at center is Collinder 110. This is a stack of 5 x 5 minute exposures at ISO 800 with the 135mm lens at f/2.8 and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII.
The Thor's Helmet or Duck Nebula, NGC 2359 in Canis Major. Faint cluster at left of nebula is Haffner 6, one at upper left is Haffner 8; one at left edge of frame, centre, is NGC 2374. This is a stack of 4 x 10 minute exposures at ISO 800 with the Canon 5D MkII and Astro-Physics Traveler 105mm apo refractor at f/5.8 with the 6x7 field flattener. Taken from Timor Cottage, Coonabarabran, Australia, December 18/19, 2012.
