A Fleeting Glimpse of the Blue Horsehead Nebula
Even under the pristine, Bortle 2 skies of Shired Island, Florida, nature doesn't always cooperate. This time, it was high-altitude clouds that tested my patience, but the allure of the Blue Horsehead Nebula was too strong to resist. I managed to gather around two hours of data for this capture, a precious window to document a celestial target I've long admired.
While the thin veil of clouds lent the image a unique, soft, and dreamy quality – reminiscent of an Orton glow – it also introduced some challenges. The stars appear slightly bloated, and some of the finer details within the nebula have been smoothed out. It's certainly not a perfect rendition, but in astrophotography, imperfections often serve as powerful motivators to return and try again.
Unveiling the Details
For those interested in the nuances of this region, I've included a starless version and an annotated view. This area of the sky is a canvas of subtle dust and reflection nebulae, and I'm grateful that even with limited exposure time, I could capture a fragment of its beauty.
Acquisition Details:
- Exposures: 120 x 60 seconds
- ISO: 640
- Aperture: f/2.0
Location:
- Shired Island, FL
- Bortle Scale: 2
Gear:
- Camera: Sony A7iii (astro-modded)
- Lens: Rokinon 135mm
- Mount: Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer
Processing:
- Pixinsight: BlurX, StarX, NoiseX
- Photoshop: Camera Raw Filter, Brightness & Contrast, Vibrance, Screen Colorized Ha, High Pass Filter, Screen Stars
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