The red nebulosity shown in this image is known as IC 434, and measures about 18 light years long. The dark nebula obscuring part of IC 434 is the horsehead nebula, also known as B33. The horsehead nebula is one of the most famous examples of a dark nebula, visible because it obscures a glowing cloud of gas that reveals its silhouette. The horsehead nebula is located about 1600 light years away, and is a little more than a light year in length.
This is an LRGB color composite CCD image taken with a Takahashi Epsilon 180ED telescope on a Takahashi NJP Temma mount using an SBIG STL-11000M CCD. The luminance channel was shot with a hydrogen alpha filter in my backyard. The color data was taken on Mount Lemmon at the University of Arizona Mount Lemmon SkyCenter.
IC434 and B33
Constellation: Orion
RA: 05h 41m 00s Dec: -02d 26' 40" (J2000)
November 20 & 21, 2009
Image by Sid Leach
Scottsdale, Arizona
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