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Object Type: Reflection nebula
Constellation: Orion
Magnitude: 8.3
Size: 8' x 6'

M78 is the brightest diffuse reflection nebula in the sky. Three other reflection nebulae in the image have separate NGC designations: NGC 2064, NGC 2067, and NGC 2071. A new variable nebula in the region was discovered in 2004 by Jay McNeil.

Equipment: Vixen 102-ED/ST-10XME/Astrodon LRGB filters/Paramount ME
F-ratio: f/6.5
Exposure: LRGB: L 12 x 5 minutes: R 12 x 5 minutes: G 12 x 5 minutes: B 12 x 5 minutes: RGB binned 2x2
Date: November 28 and 29, 2008
Location: Landers, California, USA
Technical Notes: Individual exposures were taken using CCDAutoPilot2 and then sigma combined. The RGB image was created in Registar 1.0. Reduce Noise was applied to the RGB image and the dim portions of the luminance image. A high-pass filter of 4 pixels was selectively applied to a duplicate of the luminance image as a sharpening layer.