Digital Image – The Monkeyhead Nebula

Here is NGC 2174, The Monkeyhead Nebula, found in the constellation of Orion. NGC 2174 is an H II emission nebula, associated with the open star cluster NGC 2175. It is thought to be located about 6,400 light-years away from Earth. The purple glow inside the monkey’s “head” is predominantly oxygen III emissions, captured through a OIII narrowband filter.

Click on the image for a larger version.

Image Info

  • Imaged from the KPO field in Saint Cloud, Florida.
  • Camera : ZWO ASI1600MM Pro
  • Lens: Canon 100-400 f/5.6L lens, set to 400mm
  • Mount: iOptron SmartEQ Pro
  • Hydrogen Alpha: 14 subframes of 300s = 70 min integration, assigned to Red
  • Sulfur II: 11 subframes of 300s = 55 min integration, assigned to Green
  • Oxygen III: 11 subframes of 300s = 55 min integration, assigned to Blue
  • Total integration time: 180 min = 3 hours.
  • Captured via ASIAir Pro automation
  • Optical tracking via ASIAir automation, currently using ST4 mount control via the ASI120MM-S guide camera
  • Separate channels stacked and HSO integrated in Astro Pixel Processor
  • Final processing in Aperture

 

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