Object: Orion Sword Region Wide-field
Date: 1/29/05
Location: ASLC DSO site near Upham, NM
Telescope: Camera piggyback on a 10" LX-200
Guiding: None
Camera: Unmodified Canon Digital Rebel using a Canon 100mm f/2 lens @ f2.5
Exposure: 13x2 minute @ ISO-1600
Processing: Non-linear Raw file conversion, registered, and stacked using ImagesPlus.  Final processing in PS - aggressively stretched histogram to bring out faint nebula then reduced color bias in selected regions by lowering color saturation level and tweaking curves..
Comments: This is one of my favorite areas of the sky and contains a wealth of beautiful objects. The three bright stars in a line comprise the belt of Orion the hunter.  Surrounding the leftmost belt star are the Flame and Horse-head Nebula.  Dropping southwest you'll find the Running Man and Orion Nebula and if you look hard in the lower right corner of the image you can just make out part of the upside-down Witch-head Nebula. For a larger version, click here.

© Dave Dockery 2005