IC4603 and IC4604

 I got another 80 minutes of LRGB/Ha data to add two more mosaic panels to the bottom half of this integration to encompass the more red area of IC4603 to contrast the blue of the Rho Ophiuchi nebula (IC4604). Each of the four panels data were integrated separately and merged in pairs to make the composition which was annotated in Pixinsight and then cropped and further processed in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop 2025. This is a challenging target; not just for its low sky position, but for the black dust that fills the field of view. A lot more data is needed to bring out the vibrant colours more in this rich area of the MilkyWay. As before, All images were acquired with NINA using an ASI 533MM Pro camera and mono filter wheel set attached to a Sky-Watcher Esprit 80 ED triplet refractor fitted with a field flattener.  The Rho Ophiuchi nebula is a complex area of interstellar clouds with different nebulae, particularly a dark nebula lying near the star ρ Ophiuchi at some 460 light years away. It is one of the closest star-forming regions of our galaxy.

Chris Bowden