Russell Croman Astrophotography  

 

 

The Cone Nebula


About This Photograph

Situated in the constellation Monoceros (the Unicorn), the tremendous light given off by the cluster of hot young stars both illuminates and is slowly eroding the vast cloud of gas and dust from which they were formed. A relatively dense lump of gas and dust blocks the light of the bright star at the center of the image, giving rise to the enigmatic column of dark gas and dust known as the Cone Nebula.

This is but a part of the larger nebula complex and star cluster seen in this photograph.

 

Related Photographs

The Fox Fur Nebula
The Cone and Fox Fur Nebula Region
The Cone and Fox Fur Nebula Region
in Hydrogen-alpha
 

Technical Details

Optics:20" f/8 RCOS Ritchey-Chrétien Cassegrain w/ Field Corrector.
Camera:SBIG STL-11000M.
Mount:Software Bisque Paramount ME.
Filters:SBIG Standard RGB.
Dates/Times:12 January 2005.
Location:Dimension Point Observatory, Mayhill, New Mexico.
Exposure Details:LRGB = 165:30:30:45 minutes (15-minute individual exposures).
Acquisition:MaxIm DL/CCD 4, TheSky6, CCDAutoPilot2.
Processing:MaxIm DL/CCD 4, Photoshop CS.