EarthSky Community Photos

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Ron Haggett
Yuma, AZ
10/11/2023
03:00 am

Equipment Details:

William Optics Z81 scope.
iOptron CEM26 mount.
ZWO ASI183MC-Pro camera.
W/O 32mm UniGuide scope with ASI120mm guide camera.

Post-processing Details:

Bortle 4-5 sky
30 x 60-second subs with calibration frames.
Siril 1.2.0 for stacking with Starnet++ for star removal.
Affinity Photo for cropping and adjustments.

Image Details:

The Clouds of Orion.

Everyone is familiar with the Orion Nebula, also known as the middle "star" in the "sword" of Orion. This closely cropped image with (almost) no stars helps visualize the nebulosity's myriad clouds of gas and dust. A close look at the bright center in this photo reveals the asterism of the Trapezium, four giant stars unleashing streams of ultraviolet radiation destroying the gas and dust necessary for new stars to be born.