HORSEHEAD NEBULA | IC434

I still remember myself as a kid looking at a scientific curiosity magazine and a full page printed with the Horsehead Nebula, it was definitely the nebula that impressed me the most. The Andromeda Galaxy, of course was the most impressive astro image for me, but the Horsehead really had a special place in my heart. Something in space with that shape, those colors, wow, what an impressive view!

When I started this hobby in the beginning of 2022, I had no idea I would ever be able to photograph the stars like this. Living under heavy light-polluted skies, imaging deep-sky objects from the city felt almost impossible. I never imagined I’d be able to capture something like the Horsehead myself. And yet, here it is—a reminder that curiosity, patience, and the right tools can still open a window to the universe, even from the most unlikely places.

31h 35 min total integration time, 1h 50 min was UV/IR
Sharpstar 61 EDPH II + 0.7 reducer @f4.5
ASI183MC PRO dedicated astrocamera
AM5 Mount
SVBONY UV/IR cut filter
SVBONY 7nm dual band filter
SVBONY 30mm f4 Guide Scope
ASI120MM mini guide camera with red filter
ASIAir mini
Bortle 4-5
Software: DeepSkyStacker > Siril > Starnet > Graxpert > Photoshop > Topaz Denoiser

The image above is my best yet from the Horsehead. I will keep revisiting this target probably every winter. Really want to have a close-up shot with my Celestron C8.

Just some crops to show 1:1 pixel size of different areas of the picture.

Here is a progression over the years, since my first picture of this wonder of the cosmos.