A Journey on Horseback: Barndar33 Horsehead Nebula

Image Title: A Journey on Horseback: Barndar33 Horsehead Nebula

Copyright: Franklin Marek

Date image was taken: February 17, 2025

Location: New Orleans, LA

Data Acquisition Method: Personal Telescope Setup

Image Description and Details: This has to be the most imaged nebula out there and not new to me either but what a journey it has been since the very first time I shot this. 11years ago on a homemade wedge sat my Nexstar8se with a modded DSLR and home made peltier cooler.
There was crazy internal reflections from the inner baffle tube of the C8. I didnt know what flocking was and had to figure out how to flock the inner baffle tube. So the next season I had a used NEQ6 mount (which is still my mount) and using the C8 now properly flocked I went for the horse again.
I was hugely satisfied with that result and let it lay for the next decade.
I think my patience, skills, and equipment have definitely changed with the times as well now over the next 10 years. I wasn't intending on shooting much on the Horsehead since it is so popular but ended up acquiring a good bit of exposure on it. With all things now certain aspects completely surprised me. Most notably is the almost complete lack of OIII. For how bright the horsehead is in Ha there is almost nothing to speak of in OIII. The biggest signal was just that of the blue reflection around the Lump Star HD37903. Although I think this area is beautiful and full of glorious reflections and emissions it is those tiny hidden gems often overlooked deep in the dust.
Dates:
Jan. 9, 2025
Jan. 17, 2025
Jan. 20, 2025
Jan. 25, 2025
Feb. 2, 2025
Feb. 17 - 18, 2025
Frames:
Antlia EDGE H-alpha 4.5nm 1.25": 34×900″(8h 30′) ISO0 (gain: 121.00) f/3.8 -15°C bin 1×1
Antlia EDGE OIII 4.5 nm 1.25": 26×900″(6h 30′) ISO0 (gain: 121.00) f/3.8 -14°C bin 1×1
Antlia EDGE OIII 4.5 nm 1.25": 33×900″(8h 15′) ISO0 (gain: 121.00) f/3.8 -15°C bin 1×1
Antlia EDGE SII 4.5 nm 1.25": 49×900″(12h 15′) ISO0 (gain: 121.00) f/3.8 -15°C bin 1×1
Integration:
35h 30′

Equipment Details: Imaging Telescopes Or Lenses
iOptron 10-inch F/4 Imaging Newtonian
Imaging Cameras
ZWO ASI294MM Pro ×
Mounts
Sky-Watcher NEQ6-Pro
Filters
Antlia EDGE H-alpha 4.5nm 1.25" · Antlia EDGE OIII 4.5 nm 1.25" · Antlia EDGE SII 4.5 nm 1.25"
Accessories
Orion Thin off-axis-guider (OAG) · Sharpstar 2" 0.95× coma corrector (CRC2095) · ZWO EFW 8 x 1.25″ / 31mm
Software
Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight · Russell Croman Astrophotography BlurXTerminator · Russell Croman Astrophotography NoiseXTerminator · Russell Croman Astrophotography StarXTerminator · SetiAstro Automatic DBE · SetiAstro Blemish Blaster · SetiAstro Cosmic Clarity Denoise · SetiAstro Cosmic Clarity Sharpen · SetiAstro NBtoRGBstars · SetiAstro PerfectPalettePicker · SetiAstro Statistical Stretch
Guiding Cameras
ZWO ASI290MM Mini ×

Name: Franklin Marek

Website or Facebook Profile: http://www.setiastro.com