Orion and the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex
December 19, 2023
Photographer: Soumya Banerjee
Summary Author: Soumya Banerjee
I waited until close to midnight to complete this long exposure photo shoot of Orion rising in the east as observed from a campground high up in the Himalayas. Also shown is the Orion molecular cloud complex that includes numerous bright nebula (some of which can be seen with the naked eye) and dark clouds within and nearby the constellation of Orion.
This prolific star-forming region lies between 1,000 and 1,400 light-years away and is hundreds of light-years across. Many of the objects in this complex consist of Hydrogen Alpha (H-Alpha) emission (the red or magenta glow). Because this emission is outside of the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum it can’t be seen with our unaided eyes. Photo taken on October 20, 2023.
Photo details: This is a vertical panorama of 3 horizontal panels, 2 for the sky and 1 for foreground and tent. Canon 700D (self-astro modified) camera; Sigma 28mm f1.4 art lens; f2.8; 1 minute exposure and ISO 1600; tracked and stacked 14 light frames and 8 dark frames. Processed in Adobe Photoshop.
Singalila National Park, India Coordinates: 27.0371, 88.0762
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