Nebulae Messier 78 & (a bit of) Barnard's Loop in Orion

Nebulae Messier 78 & (a bit of) Barnard's Loop in Orion

Astrophotographer Ian Inverarity: "The M78 nebula is another interesting little thing I have seen in my wider field shots that I wanted to capture! After 3 clear nights in a row, here it is!"

The reflection nebula Messier 78 is a vibrant nursery of star formation enveloped in a shroud of interstellar dust. It lies in the constellation of Orion within our Milky Way galaxy. 

Barnard's Loop (catalogue designation Sh 2-276) is an emission nebula in the constellation of Orion. It is part of the Orion molecular cloud complex. It also contains the dark Horsehead and bright Orion nebulae. The loop takes the form of a large arc centered approximately on the Orion Nebula. The stars within the Orion Nebula are believed to be responsible for ionizing the loop.

Distance: ~1,400 light years

Image details: Takahashi FSQ106N telescope, QHY268M camera, Astronomik R, G & B filters, Warp Astron WD-20 EQ mount, PHD2 and NINA camera and mount control. Stacking and initial processing in APP, final processing in PS. 

Image Credit: Ian Inverarity

Capture Location: Leigh Creek, South Australia.
Release Date: Jan. 2, 2025

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