Hello all,
Here is an image I did last night and Merry Christmas to everyone!
Paul Mayo
The Running Man Nebula - NGC 1973-75-77
Situated just North of the Great Nebula in Orion is the bright-bluish reflection nebula known as the Running Man Nebula.
The Running Man Nebula was given this nick-name after early astronomers saw that the bright-bluish reflection nebula surrounded a darker pinkish-coloured emission nebula whose outline appeared like the silhouette of a running man, particularly when observed through a telescope.
The Running Man Nebula reflects star-light back to Earth produced by the bright white-blue stars scattered in and around the nebula. Some of these stars appear still partially embedded in this star making nebula.
The Running Man Nebula appears to be part of the Great Nebula in Orion separated only by a thinning of the nebula which divides the two nebulae into separate celestial objects. In this darker region of less nebula (lower right area of image - South) those with keen eyes can see many interesting objects that include; wisps of nebulae with bright knots at one end, a small bright-yellowish nebula surrounding a star, and filamentary structure of the dark coloured nebula that reach toward the bottom of this image.
larger image: http://www.skylab.com.au/pmsa/ngc1977.html
Image Details
Field of View: ~45 x 33 arc-minutes.
Orientation: North is toward top-left of this image.
Telescope: 304mm f/5 reflector telescope, hand guided.
Camera: Canon EOS 300D Digital Rebel.
Exposures:
3 x 2-minute exposures @ ISO200.
3 x 6-minute exposures @ ISO1600.
Total Exposure time: 24 minutes.
Sky Conditions Seeing: 9.5/10 (excellent seeing),
Wind: 1/10 Moisture: 1/10.
Ambient Temperature: guess < 20° C.
Notes:
used Baader Coma Corrector.
Gibbous Moon rising ends imaging session.
--
Paul