vdB16
Reflection Nebula in Aries
About
A small reflection nebula on the border of Aries and Taurus, about 7° northwest of the Pleiades. It reflects a 9th-magnitude star at its centre, and one source gives its size as roughly 7′. It is only a small part of the wide Taurus molecular cloud.
Imaging tips
- At about 7′ it is small, so use a long focal length and fine pixel scale. One imager worked at 1600 mm on a Schmidt-Cassegrain with a conversion lens.
- That imager stacked ten 6-minute exposures through a moon and skyglow filter. As a reflection nebula it needs broadband.
- A star-poor void in that 1600 mm frame marks the dark nebula Barnard 204, about 14′ across.
- Best in October and November; it peaks near 70° from 50°N.
Facts
- Size
- 7.4′ × 5.2′
- Magnitude
- —
- Coordinates
- RA 3h 28.3m, Dec +29° 48′
- Framing, APS-C
- 3280–5460 mm
- Framing, full frame
- longer than 4000 mm
- Best months
- Oct, Nov
- Peak altitude
- 70° from 50°N, 85° from 35°N