Monday, Jan 27, 2025

NGC 2170 is a reflection nebula located in the constellation Monoceros, approximately 2,400 light-years away from Earth. It stands out in the winter sky, surrounded by a rich tapestry of cosmic dust clouds and young stars. NGC 2170's glow emanates from light reflected off nearby stars, which illuminates the nebula's intricate structure and vibrant colors. This object is part of the larger Monoceros R2 star-forming region, a stellar nursery teeming with energy and dynamic processes. I've been looking to photograph it for a couple of years now and finally this year I did it. Taking advantage of several clear nights close to the Winter solstice and to the New Moon (can't get much better than this... :) ), I took about 25 hours to LRGB, 5 hours per night. During processing I wanted to showcase the subtle color variations in the nebulosity. Perhaps have been a bit overboard with color but this time, I kind of like it. Detail: LUM: 201 x 180'' RED: 74 x 240'' GRE: 79 x 240'' BLU: 76 x 240'' Total integration: 25h19'