How to photograph the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex (Rho Ophiuchi)
A very colorful region of blue, yellow and red nebulae around Antares.
Photo byNaskies(CC BY-SA 3.0)
When to shoot it from your location
About the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex
Rho Ophiuchi mixes blue reflection nebulae, the yellow glow around Antares, red emission and dark dust lanes, with the globular cluster M4 in the frame. It needs dark skies and a low southern horizon for northern observers.
Gear and framing
The Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex spans about 6.7° of sky. It frames best with:
- Wide lens (14-50mm on a camera)
- Telephoto (85-300mm lens)
You can see how other people have built their rigs on RigDesigner, including my Sony a6700 and 60mm refractor rig.
Filters
This is a broadband target, which means its light is mostly starlight across the whole spectrum. Shoot it with no filter or a UV/IR cut filter. A broadband light pollution filter can help a little in the suburbs. Dual-band and narrowband filters block most of its light, so leave them off. Plan it for a moonless night at a dark site.
Tips
- This is a broadband target. Use no narrowband filter, and wait for a moonless night at a dark site.
- A 50-135mm lens frames the whole complex.
Processing
Stack your light frames with darks and flats, then remove the background gradient before stretching. AstroBake does all of this for you. Point it at your folders of raw frames, then adjust the result with live sliders.