IC 434 - The Horsehead Nebula + NGC 2023 (Álvaro Méndez)

Celestial hemisphere: Southern · Constellation: Orion (Ori) · Contains: 50 Ori) · Flame Nebula · IC 434 · NGC 2023 · NGC 2024 · Orion B · The star Alnitak (ζ Ori

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IC 434 - The Horsehead Nebula + NGC 2023

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IC 434 - The Horsehead Nebula + NGC 2023

A classic.
I took a new set of data with my RC8 in broadband and combined it with old data taken in dual narrowband with my 8 inch Newtonian as added luminance, but using the natural colors from the broadband signal. I like the better richness of color, I think there is no contest in that!

Update: For the Revision C version, I integrated into the original stack a test shot I did of NGC 2023 with my RC12 in an attempt to enhance the details and color of this amazing nebula. I think the experiment paid off and I managed to take advantage of that set of data that I was just going to throw away. I love the feeling I get when looking at this nebula, like you're staring into the gates of Heaven. It has a characteristic golden-pink colour that shows thanks to the magic of SPCC.

So, the workflow has been the following:

-First work on the broadband image and achieve the natural colors (SPCC and GHS performed)
-Extract the luminance of the broadband+dual narrowband signal combined together which is stronger
-Separate the stretched RBG broadband channels and create an LRGB using the totaled luminance with the higher detail
-Later on, adding a higher focal length single shot of NGC 2023 and integrate it into the image (used local normalization 4th degree in APP but I needed to blend the seams later anyway)
-Reprocess it leaving the previous stretch alone, which I liked, and meticulously adding the NGC 2023 new data only.

Hope you guys like it.

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Status	Basic success
Started	...
Astrometry.net job	9751298
PixInsight job	n/a
PixInsight queue size	n/a
PixInsight stage	n/a

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IC 434 - The Horsehead Nebula + NGC 2023

IC 434 - The Horsehead Nebula + NGC 2023

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Image Index:

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IC 434 - The Horsehead Nebula + NGC 2023

IC 434 - The Horsehead Nebula + NGC 2023

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