Antares Region

Scorpius - Nebulous area - Multiple Objects

Click on the image for larger resolution (1600 x 1063)

The Heart of the Scorpion - Antares Region

The area around Antares is one of the most colorful portions of the sky. Though you cannot see this in this particular grayscale image, you can certainly see the multitude of objects in the vicinity. While you can view the entire greater Rho-Antares region <here>, this image represents a slightly smaller swath of this region. Antares is the bright star to the lower right, bathed in a bright yellow nebulosity. Messier 4 is the magnificent globular at the upper right with another globular, NGC 6144, resting near the right center of the image. To the upper left is IC 4603, a bright blue, reflection nebula, as is IC 4605 at the bottom center of this image. The CCD chip, while rather big, is not big enough to show the larger Rho-Ophiuchi star to the north, which would be just off the left side of the image. This star lights up yet another blue reflection nebula, IC 4604. Also just off the upper part of the frame is the star Sigma Scorpi that rests in an area of red nebulosity. Red, Blue and Yellow...a beautiful portion of the sky.

Location: Texas Star Party 2004 near Ft. Davis, Texas
Seeing: 8/10
Transparency: 9/10
Date and Time: May 22, 2003
Equipment: Tak FSQ-106 @ f/5 and Takahashi NJP mount
Camera: SBIG STL-6303E NABG with integrated filter wheel
Exposure Information: Grayscale image, clear luminance, 80 minutes (10 minute subexposures)
Processing Information: Dark frame calibration, deblooming, registration and Sigma Combine in MaxIm 4.0. Digital development in MaxIm 4.0. Levels, Curves, and bloom repair in Photoshop CS.

Exposure Notes: I'll add RGB at a later date. While the grayscale is very pleasing, this most colorful portion of the sky should be in color!