A blue reflection nebula in Orion, framed with the dust that gives the region its moody character.
This frame remains part of the Lost Photons archive.
- What am I looking at?
- Messier 78 is a reflection nebula in Orion where dust reflects blue light from young stars still embedded in the cloud.
- How far away is it?
- About 1,350 light-years away.
- Where is it in the sky?
- In Orion, northeast of the Orion Nebula.
- Why does it matter?
- Shows star formation at an earlier stage than the brighter M42 region nearby.
- When is the best time to photograph it?
- Winter when Orion is high.
Capture summary
Nebula in Orion
Natural color
Broadband RGB
Winter target / wide composition
- Optolong L-Pro 2 14h 5m 169 x 300s
When to image this target
Nebula in Orion; best planned for December through February from New Jersey.
Winter targets reward clear, steady nights and usually climb well by late evening.
Assumes a New Jersey backyard horizon and evening imaging.
Emission nebulae are good candidates for narrowband filters; reflection nebulae prefer darker skies.
M78 is listed here in Orion.
Current frame: Natural color / Broadband RGB.
Live altitude, moon, and filter guidance
Calculating target altitude and moon context.
Use the full planner to enter a ZIP code, choose a date, and compare the target from your sky.
Based on the current time.
Green marks usable dark-sky altitude.
Next upper transit.
Approximate horizon crossing.
Moon phase and altitude.
Acquisition & processing notes
Filter channels, integration times, and capture dates for this frame. View on AstroBin.
- Optolong L-Pro 2 169 x 300s, 14h 5m
Field notes for this target.
Browse all capture notesHow I captured this
| Channel | Frames | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Optolong L-Pro 2 | 169 x 300s | 14h 5m |
- Equipment used
- From my current rig
- Mount
- iOptron CEM60
- Telescope
- Explore Scientific FCD100 127mm Carbon Fiber Triplet APO
- Camera
- ZWO ASI2600MM Pro
- Filters
- Chroma 36mm Ha, OIII, SII, and LRGB (ZWO EFW 7×36mm)
- Focuser / rotator
- MoonLite NiteCrawler
- Reducer
- Starizona Apex ED 0.65×
- Guiding
- ZWO off-axis guider + ASI290MM Mini
- Control / power
- PrimaLuceLab Eagle 4S, Powerwerx PSU, Bioenno field battery, and MEGAbox
