M78

Image Description and Details : This is an image of M78. Actually, M78 is the brightest reflection nebula (blue nebula near the center) of a nebula complex that includes NGC 2064 (the red nebula on the left of the image), NGC 2067 (the reflection nebula just on the other side of the dark nebula from M78) and NGC 2071 (the reflection nebula in the lower right of the image). This nebula complex is about 1,300 light years away in the constellation Orion, slightly above Alnitak, the leftmost star in Orion’s belt.

Telescope: Planewave CDK-17
Camera: FLI PL16803
Mount: Paramount ME
Luminance: 27x20 minutes (binned 1x1)
Red: 16x15 minutes (binned 1x1)
Green: 16x15 minutes (binned 1x1)
Blue: 16x15 minutes (binned 1x1)

Copyright: Bernard Miller