VdB99 & Sh2-1: I love colors in space, and I especially enjoy it when I can capture an emission (reddish light) nebula and a reflection nebula (blue light) in the same frame. This two-panel mosaic is comprised of VdB99, a reflection nebula in Scorpius principally reflecting the light from the hot young star Pi Scorpii (the bright star, left of center in this photo), and Sh2-1, an emission nebula emitting in the characteristic reddish light of hydrogen gas ionized by bright young stars. This colorful scene is part of a huge molecular cloud which includes the Rho Ophiuchi region. This scene is thought to be about 600 light-years away from us; at that distance, this picture is about 30 light years across.

Technical Information:

LRGB: Panel 1--360:218:215:345; Panel 2--405:240:360:345; All channels are the integration of 15-minute exposures through Astrodon filters. All images unbinned.

Equipment: Takahashi FSQ106N and an SBIG STL-11000M with internal filter wheel (Astrodon filter set), all riding on a Bisque Paramount ME German Equatorial Mount.

Image Acquisition/Camera Control: Maxim DL, controlled with ACP, working in concert with TheSky v6.

Processing: All images calibrated (darks and dawn flats), aligned and combined in Pixinsight. Color combine in Photoshop Pixinsight. Finish work (curves and levels, adjustment of contrast) was done in Photoshop CS5.

Location: Data acquired remotely from Fair Dinkum Skies, Moorook, South Australia.

Date: Images taken on many nights in May and June of 2014. Image posted January 30, 2015.

CCD Chip temperature: -15C

Copyright 2014, 2015 Mark de Regt

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