Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex

Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex in the constellation Ophiuchus. The cloud complex is a grouping of different interstellar clouds. The blue clouds are reflection nebulae. Hot blue stars at the center of the nebulae illuminate local dust and gas clouds creating the blue color. Red clouds are emission nebulae composed of Hydrogen. The radiation from a hot neighboring star excites the Hydrogen glass causing the gas to glow red. Dark Nebulae are the reddish brown dust clouds.

Rho Ophiuchi is the multiple star system at the center of the largest blue reflection nebula (center left).

Antares is the bright star at the center of the yellow cloud complex (lower right). It is the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius. Antares is a red supergiant. A star approaching the end of it's life. It's color produces a yellow reflection nebula. Red giants upon approaching the end of their life swell to great size. If Antares were placed at the location of our sun, it's surface would extend out beyond the earth.

Sigma Scorpii is a multiple star system at the center of the red emission nebula (upper right).

Two globular clusters are visible in the image. The first is Messier 4 (center right). The second is Messier 80 (upper left).

(TheSky Pro Edition)

Image processed by Andrew Macica, original data from Telescope Live.

Imaging Details:

Observatory: Heaven's Mirror Observatory, Yass, Australia

Telescope: Takahashi FSQ-106ED

Aperture: 106 mm (4.17 inches), f/3.6

Focal Length: 382 mm (with 0.73x focal reducer)

Camera: FLI ProLine PL16803 CCD

Filters: LRGB

Total Exposure: 24 hours 0 minutes

Image Processing: PixInsight 1.8.9-3 Ripley (x64);

BlurXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, StarXTerminator (RC Astro);

Adobe Photoshop 25.12.1;

Adobe Lightroom Classic 14.2

Instruction on PixInsight from Adam Block Studios.