Horse Head Narrow-Band

I still consider this a work in progress.....

Here's a 2-hour H-alpha of the Horsehead region. It's probably not obvious unless you blow it up (way up!), but there's some field curvature visible in the stars towards the corners - the reducer I'm using is likely not at its optimal distance, but this is not my long-term configuration anyhow...

Takahashi FS102 with f/5.9 reducer
SBIG STL-6303
Astrodon 6nm H-alpha filter
4 x 30 minute subs
Reduced in size by about 1/3

I stretched it a bit to show that the nebulosity that's not usually obvious below the HH region is beginning to show up. But that's for another time....

Eric

Attached Image:

Here's an attempt at pseudo-color. I have some SII data that aligned well with the H-alpha data but is comparatively thin. I have some more SII data as well as some OIII data (with practically no nebulosity present), but that did not align well with the H-alpha data. So I just blended the SII and H-alpha data and did some jiggering of the false color to come up with this.

Eric

Attached Image:

HorseHead alone at 100%

Attached Image:

Flame alone at 100%

Attached Image:

Wonderful! I, too, like the first wide field in Ha the most. I always like that approach to such nebula. But they're all great.
Larry

Here is a full-sized version of the H-alpha only greyscale, distorted stars and all. It *is* a work in progress...

~370K (3072 x 2048)
http://members.nuvox.net/~on.aunt/DSO/HHBigIrFan.jpg

Eric