Category: Astrophotography

Every year or two, I try to image Barnard’s Loop in Orion with a DSLR. This year, I used an 85mm prime lens at f/3, my full spectrum modified Canon T5i, and an Antlia Triband RGB Ultra filter to reduce light pollution and enhance the reds that are prominent here. This was made from a stack of 74 two minute images. The three bright stars that start near the middle and point roughly to 2 o’clock are three stars of the Belt of Orion while the big bright nebula toward 5 o’clock is the Orion Nebula. The big red arc on the left is Barnard’s Loop, named after it’s discoverer, E.E. Barnard. All of the nebulosity seen here is part of the Orion molecular cloud complex.

I shot this in early October but then between filling 200+ orders for eclipse glasses in four days and making a speed run to Midland, Texas to see the Annular Eclipse, I forgot all about it. 60 sixty second frames from my 11″ SCT at f/1.9 with an Antlia Triband RGB Ultra filter.