The Cone Nebula visible at the base of the red emission nebula is just a small part of a vast star-forming region 2,600 light years distant in the constellation of Monoceros.  The red glow arises from clouds of hydrogen gas that are excited by the ultraviolet light of nearby young stars.  Above the Cone Nebula is a loose triangular cluster of stars known as the Christmas Tree Cluster.  Interstellar dust reflects light of the brightest stars in the cluster, glowing blue, at the edge of the Foxfur Nebula.

IMAGE DETAILS:

• Date & Location:  November 22, 2009 - Bernville, PA

• Weather:  Calm wind, 33F.

• Sky Conditions:  Clear with average transparency. 

• Optics:  TeleVue TV60is Refractor (360mm -f/6) with field flattener.

• Filter:  Hutech IDAS-LPS (Light Pollution Suppression)

• Mount:  Losmandy G-11 equatorial with Gemini V4

• Guiding:  Orion Solitaire w/TeleVue NP101is

• Camera:  Canon T1i (500D) Hap Griffin Modified - Baader UV/IR

• Exposure:  65 min (3 x 12 min, 1 x 11 min, 1 x 10) @ ISO 800 (1 x 8 min) @ ISO 400 RAW

• Calibration Frames:  In camera dark frame subtraction

• Processing:  Photoshop CS4, Noise Ninja, NIK 

• Comments:  This is a subject I would like to photograph again with higher magnification centered on the cone.