The Pillars of Darkness (B22 Region)

Image Description and Details :

This is part of the Taurus Molecular cloud complex apparently located about halfway between the Pleiades and Aldebaran and about ~430 l.y. from here. The shape of the nebula reminds me of a darker version of the Eagle Nebula's Pillars of Creation, leading to my title. Also captured, though only as 6 small smears, is a 70km-wide asteroid called 322 Phaeo (discovered 1891) which was moving through the area at the time. I shot this nebula was shot in Bortle 1 skies over 6 nights at the 2021 Okie-Tex Star Party in Western Oklahoma during early October 2021. Transparency throughout the week was mediocre so only 16 hours of a larger 26 hour total was used for stacking.

William Optics Star71-II APO (345mm FL, f/4.9)
ZWO ASI1600MM-P at Gain 76 & -10C, ZWO LRGB filters

Lum: 316 x 120"
(Rx62, Gx56, Bx64) x 120"

APT for capture, PixInsight for stacking & processing

Copyright: Brent Newton