This is the first of two images I took the night I received my new telescope. After taking a pretty large break from astrophotography, I decided to purchase a new setup to continue my adventure into the hobby. This image was taken with a William Optics GT71 and Canon t5i on a Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro in Ganado, Texas.
I was somehow blessed with having near perfect conditions for astrophotography when my telescope finally arrived – an incredibly rarity for the hobby. Despite having to work the next day, I stayed out imaging two different targets for several hours. The first object I imaged was the Orion Nebula to check exposure settings and make sure I had a decent alignment with my mount. I did not stay on that target for long, and only took one exposure.
After seeing the results of a single exposure of one of my favorite targets, I was estatic. I quickly moved my telescope to focus on The Horsehead and Flame Nebula which I had also imaged previously with my old setup. The difference in quality was astounding and I was incredibly satisfied with the result – especially considering it was my first time using my new equipment. After imaging The Horsehead and Flame Nebula, I switched to another target and spent the rest of the night imaging the Rosette Nebula.
These images are among the best astrophotos I have taken to date I am thrilled with the results of my new telescope and mount. There is a dedicated post for The Rosette Nebula as well, be sure to check it out!
Congratulations – you’ve made it to the bottom of the page! I will always keep the lower half of these posts dedicated to the more nerd-related (Somehow even nerdier than the above!) information.
The Horsehead and Flame Nebula are both located over 1,300 light-years away from Earth, meaning the light I captured in the image began its long journey towards Earth while over 1,300 years ago – so long ago that Teotihuacan was still a thriving city!
The Horsehead Nebula is a dark nebula that resembles the shape of a horse’s head, hence the name. It is primarily composed of dark dust and hydrogen gas obscuring the light form the emission nebula located behind it.
The Flame Nebula is an emission nebula which means it emits its own light. Emission nebulae emit light through the ionization of hydrogen gas by nearby hot stars. The glow in the flame nebula is caused by radiation from the star Alnitak, the large bright star in the image, which is a part of Orion’s Belt. Similar to the Horsehead Nebula, the Flame Nebula is composed of hydrogen, helium, and trace amounts of heavier elements.