The Waterfall and Chevron Nebula Region

Emission and Reflection Nebulas in Orion

Uploaded 1/25/05

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This composition was specifically selected to include both the two primary nebulosities - HH222 and HH401 in center, the small patch to the upper right - HH33 & HH40, and finally a surprising unidentified reflection nebula on the left. At top center is Herbig Haro 222, known from a research paper as the "Waterfall Nebula". I brought this unique object to the spot light a few years ago, when I posted a color image of it with my ST7E. Now I'd like to introduce to you another heavily researched object just below it, known from the same research paper as the "Chevron Nebula". This object is Herbig Haro 401 and is also a jet of gas streaming out of a cocoon surrounding an enclosed young star. Both nebulas are extremely faint, and require deep images to show their nature well. At the top are two more Herbig Haro objects, HH33 and HH40 connected by a nebulous bridge of material.

On the left edge is a very mysterious object. I first recorded it in a quick 1 minute exposure the night before, seconds before being clouded out. Later that night, I discovered this strange combination of dust and reflection nebulosity and I knew I had to include it in the composition. The deeper exposure above shows it to be white to greenish in color, a combination of blue reflection nebulosity and yellow dust.

Processing: A standard series of unbinned RGB frames were taken, and followed by 2h of an Ha filtered series. The RGB data was combined normally for a standard G2V calibrated image. The Ha data was combined to make a high resolution deep frame. The R channel was extracted from the RGB, combined with the Ha data at 80% Ha - 20% Red. This was then combined again with the R channel using lighten to return the stars to the red channel. Finally, this was the new R channel and recombined with the G and B data for a RGB color image. This technique avoids white clipping the R channel, and allows the full blue nebulosity to be present in the image.

Instrument: 12.5" f/5 Home made Newtonian Platform: Astrophysics 1200 QMD CCD Camera: SBIG 10XME NABG with Enhanced Water Cooling Guider: SBIG ST4 Exposure: (Ha+R)GB = 120+20:20:20 RGB Combine Ratio: 1: 1.05: 1.11 Filters: AstroDon RGB Tricolor Location: Payson, Arizona Elevation: 5150 ft. Sky: Seeing FWHM = 10 arcsec (Maxim DL - 10min subframe), Transparency 9/10 Outside Temperature: 35 F CCD Temperature: -30 C Processing Tools: Maxim DL, Gralaks Sigma, Photoshop, PixInsight, CCDOps Debloomer. HOME GALAXIES EMISSION NEBS REFLECTION NEBS COMETS GLOBULARS OPEN CLUST PLANETARIES LINKS
 

 
 


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