M45 Stars and Dust

Along with the Witch Head Nebula, I got a 30 minute worth exposures of M45 sailing in constellation Taurus the Bull. Most images of M45 emphasizes the brilliance of the star cluster. However, in this image I opted to highlight the nebulous dust in the region. Previously thought as the birthplace of newly born stars, it was later understood that the star cluster has no relationship to the dusty nebula but rather simply passing through it.

I had no intention of capturing this object that night but since Orion was clouded out, I slew my camera lens to M45 which was clear at that time. I got a measly 30 minutes total exposure before it started to drizzle. It took me a week before I started processing this beautiful object. Hope its not yet too late to add more data next time we head out.. .

Witch Head Nebula and Rigel

This the second time I "caught" the witch. First was that she was unable to fit in the frame. Only her mid-face and protruding chin were shown in the image. But last Sunday, I figured that I could put her and Rigel in just one frame by using the 200 mm lens and the 350D. I made 20 subs of 5 minutes totaling 100 minutes all. Processing as usual was difficult as this was a faint target. Faint nebulosity together with the brilliance of the star Rigel - a processing nightmare. But here she is. . . looking at Rigel. Seemingly amazed at the how the supergiant illuminates the field!