Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex
- Type
- Nebula
- Acquisition
- Takahashi Epsilon-160ED · ZWO ASI6200MM Pro
- Integration
- 30.5h
Part of the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex
The Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex is a vast molecular cloud in Ophiuchus, about 400 light-years from Earth — one of the nearest stellar birthplaces to us.
The cloud is made of frigid gas and dust, only a dozen or so kelvin above absolute zero (around –250°C), yet holding thousands of solar masses. Its most active region, L1688, is a hotspot of star birth where many young stellar objects can be observed — newly formed protostars and T Tauri stars still wrapped in dust. These infant stars are only a few million years old, caught in the act of condensing from gas and flickering alight.
To astronomers, the Rho Ophiuchi cloud is the universe's nursery — a place to watch, up close, how stars and planetary systems come to be.
Takahashi Epsilon 160ed
ZWO ASI6200MM Pro
Astronomik Deep Sky Rx161, Gx224, Bx147, 120s; MaxFR 6nm Hax256, 180s
Total integration time: 30.5 hrs
Location: Chile