2022-02-08 / Click on image to enlarge
galacticsights
astrophotography
IC 2169
Technical Details
| Location | Zollikerberg, Switzerland |
| Camera | Nikon DSLR D810A |
| Telescope | TS ONTC 12" f/4 Carbon Newton |
| Optics | TS 2,5" Wynne Coma Corrector |
| Focal Length | 1113mm |
| Mount | iOptron CEM120 Center-Balanced Equatorial Mount |
| Autoguiding | MGEN-3 (Dithering) |
| Focuser | Moonlite |
| Planetarium Software | Stellarium | Image Session Control | APT - Astro Photography Tool v3.88, ASCOM Platform 6 |
| Lights | 72 x 120s (total 2h24'), ISO-1600, additional Biases, Flats, no Darks |
| Stacking Software | Pixinsight 1.8, Drizzle 2x |
| Image Processing | Pixinsight 1.8 |
IC2169 is a reflection nebula located in the constellation of Monoceros, approximately 2500 light years away from earth. Despite its wonderful blue appearance it isn’t as popular as its neighbor the cone nebula.
IC2169 does not emit its own light as emission nebulae do, but only reflects the light of the bright stars embedded in it. The energy from the nearby stars is insufficient to ionize the gas of the nebula to create an emission nebula, but is enough to give sufficient scattering to make the dust visible. Reflection nebula are usually blue because the scattering is more efficient for blue light than red.