M78 in Orion

Field centered on R.A. 05h 45' & Dec. +04° 25'

An eerie blue glow and ominous columns of dark dust highlight M78 and other bright reflection nebula in the constellation of Orion. The dark filamentary dust not only absorbs light, but also reflects the light of several bright blue stars that formed recently in the nebula. Of the two reflection nebulas pictured above, the more famous nebula is M78, on the upper right, while NGC 2071 can be seen to its lower left. The same type of scattering that colors the daytime sky further enhances the blue color. M78 is about five light-years across and visible through a small telescope. M78 appears above only as it was 1600 years ago, however, because that is how long it takes light to go from there to here. M78 belongs to the larger Orion Molecular Cloud Complex that contains the Great Nebula in Orion and the Horsehead Nebula(text adapted from APOD).

 

Instrument:
CCD:
Exposition:
Filter:
Site:
Author:
Vixen VC200L @ f/9 + AP 900GTO SBIG STL 11K C2, binning 1x1, T=-20°C

L (210m) RGB (50:40:60m)

OPTEC LRGB

Gambugliano (VI) Italy

M.Lorenzi

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

All of the photographs and text on these pages are copyrighted by Marco Lorenzi. They may not be reproduced, published, copied or transmitted in any form, including electronically on the Internet or World Wide Web, without written permission of the author.