This image is a deep two-panel mosaic of one of the most colourful areas in the sky, showing the spectacular reflection nebula Messier 78 in Orion. This nebula is located just to the north east of Orion's Belt at a distance of about 1500 light years. It is one of the brightest diffuse reflection nebulae in the sky and is visible to the naked eye under dark skies. M78 lies behind a giant arc of H-Alpha emission known as Barnard's Loop. For this image I added nearly 17 hours of H-Alpha to capture the faint outer filaments of Barnard's Loop which covers the entire field of view.

In the centre of Messier 78 lies two bright stars, HD 38563A and HD 38563B, which cause the illumination of the area's dense clouds of gas and dust. The nebula is mostly blue due to the reflection and scattering of light from the young bright stars, but this light is reddened significantly in places where complex patches of thick dust clouds obscure the scene. Throughout the image several Herbig-Haro objects can also be seen, especially towards the upper right. These are small reddish irregular patches of nebulosity caused by jets shooting out from new-born young stars within the clouds.

Also faintly visible in this image is the variable McNeil's Nebula, discovered by amateur astronomer Jay McNeil in 2004. This nebula appears to be illuminated by a variable light source, most likely a young stellar object that is undergoing outbursts from time to time. Previous images of Messier 78 do not show the nebula, except one taken in 1966. The frequency of this objects variability is currently unknown.

Messier 78 is part of the large Orion Molecular Cloud Complex which also includes the famous Orion Nebula itself (Messier 42/43), Horsehead Nebula, Flame Nebula, Barnard's Loop and several other objects as well as the Orion OB1 Association of hot giant stars.

Image details: Date: Jan 2022 - Feb 2023
Exposure (per panel): H-Alpha L R G B: 1005:775:155:150:145m, total 39 hours 40 mins @ -25C
Telescope: Homebuilt 12.5" f/4 Serrurier Truss Newtonian
Camera: QSI 683wsg with Lodestar guider
Filters: Astrodon 3nm Ha, LRGB E-Series Gen 2
Taken from my observatory in Auckland, New Zealand