| Designation |
Messier 78 (NGC 2068)
|
| Type | Diffuse reflection nebula |
| Constellation | Orion |
| Coordinates | Telescope centered at RA '05 45 01' - Dec '+ 00 02 09' |
| Magnitude | 8.3 |
| Size | 4 light years across |
| Distance | 1,600 light years |
| Dimensions | 8 x 6 arcminutes |
| Image Field | 15 x 19 arcminutes |
|
Notes:
|
M78 is the brightest diffuse reflection nebula visible in our skies. It is comprised of clouds of interstellar dust, which glow with the scattered (reflected) light of the two bright central stars. |
| Many of the other stars affiliated with this complex are low mass "young" stars that are probably still in the formation process. | |
|
|
| Telescopes | Meade 10" LX200 f/10 on Losmandy G-11 with Gemini L3 |
| Focal Length | 1575 mm @ f/6.3 |
| Guiding | SXV guidehead through Takahashi FS60C @ f/5.9 |
| Telescope Control | Maxim DL (V3) |
| CCD Camera |
Starlight
Xpress SXV-H9 - USB 2 ExView progressive scan
1392 x 1040 (6.45 uM)
pixel array (8.98 x 6.71 active area)
|
| Image Scale | .88 arcsec/pixel |
| Filters |
1.25"
Astronomik Type II Dichroic IR blocking filters in Astronomik filter
drawer - Clear, Red, Green, Blue
|
| Exposures |
Total Exposure: 195 minutes,
90 (18 x 5) unbinned Luminance, 35 minutes (7 X 5) each R,G,B
binned 2x
|
| Calibration | None |
| Processing Software | Maxim DL, Photoshop CS (8.0), NEAT image |
| Location | Chiefland Astronomy Village, FL - 29.393 N , - 82.863 W |
| Date/Time | 11/07/04 / '04:42' - '08:07' UT |
