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NGC 2264 - The Cone Nebula in Monoceros
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Copyright 2007 Hap Griffin
The extraordinary
Cone Nebula is a 7 light-year long column of cold molecular hydrogen and dust
extending from a much larger field of the same. It is an active
region of star birth, with the three small stars at its peak having only
relatively recently becoming luminous. The large cloud of glowing hydrogen
in the upper portion of this photograph is the root of the "Foxfur
Nebula".
NGC 2264 lies at a distance of 2600 light years.
Date/Location:
November 11, 2007 Griffin/Hunter II Observatory Bethune, SC
Instrument: Canon 40D (modified IR filtering) Digital SLR through
10" Newtonian w/MPCC
Focal Ratio: f/ 4.7
Guiding: SBIG ST-237 through Orion ED80
Conditions: Cold and clear
Weather: 27 F
Exposure: 150 minutes total (30 x 5 minutes @ ISO 800)
Filters: Baader UV/IR block internal to camera
Processing: Focused and captured, RAW to TIFF conversion,
flat frame calibration, Digital Development, resizing and JPEG conversion in ImagesPlus. Color correction in Photoshop
CS2. Noise reduction in Neat Image.