This nebula is part of a great complex of gas and dust in the constellation Orion. The most prominent part of the complex is M42 and M43. M43 and part of M42 can be seen at the bottom of this image.
The Running Bigfoot Nebula glows mostly for a different reason than M42 and M43, however. While M42 and M43 radiate the light of ionized gas, the Running Bigfoot reflects the light of the bright blue stars in and around it. If you look closely at the Bigfoot figure, you see in his trailing arm the reddish glow of ionized gas, probably hydrogen and nitrogen. But the blue light of the nebula is reflected. Further away from the bright stars, where the light is too dim to be reflected in blue, it is reflected in gray and then brown.
The Running Bigfoot Nebula is called by most folks the Running Man Nebula, but look at the size of those arms! And he's got no neck. He's like no man I ever saw. His trailing leg is behind a bush, I think.
Telescope: SV80ED (and William Optics 0.8x II fr/ff (eff. at f/5.6))
Camera and Exposure: SXVF-H9C (50x480"), Alnitak Flat-man flats
Filter: Hutech IDAS-LPS2
Guiding: Meade DSI Pro and Hutech 50mm
Mount: Takahashi NJP
Software: Nebulosity, Maxim DL, Photoshop CS3
Location: The Woodlands, TX
No comments:
Post a Comment