Hydrogen Alpha: Horsehead and Flame nebulae

[Ishtar]

I have recently become very interested in narrowband imaging. I currently have a Orion Optics 7nm Hydrogen Alpha and a Baader 8nm OIII filter. I have a baader SII on order So soon I can start to image emission nebulae using the Hubble palette.

Anyway, on taking advice from some of the seasoned imagers on this forum I have now increased my hydrogen alpha exposure times from 3 minutes to 15 minutes and it really has made a big difference.

This narrowband image of the flame and horse head region was taken using a Atik 314L CCD camera with an 7nm Hydrogen Alpha filter. The scope was a 80mm (F5) achromatic refractor and was guided using Guidemaster software.

The image has been built up from 7 x 15 minute subs, dark-frame and bias-frame corrected and post processed in Photoshop CS5. It was then false coloured using Noels actions.

This image constitutes a "Work in Progress" as more colours channels will be added as soon as possible.

[MikeWilson]

Lovely! The stars have a very slight trail to them, do you think this might have been caused by aggressive guiding or seeing (yesterday we had quite high winds).

I'd be really pleased with that image

[Boren]

Can't agree more!

I would even consider leaving this image as LUM only - the details in the dust and gas behind the horse is so beautiful...

Cheers, Harel