Drifting through the Orion Arm of the Milky Way is the California Nebula, a cloud of hydrogen and sulfur glowing red, orange,and yellow, with a whispy blue veil of oxygen. More than 100 light-years long, this "California shaped" mass is not far from the Pleiades star cluster in the constellation Perseus. I shot this image with a 550mm refracting telescope, a tight framing to reveal the swirling structure of the gases. I composed the image in a portrait orientation, with the cloud rising across the frame to emphasize the movement of the nebular folds.
21.1 hours total exposure of ionized hydrogen, oxygen, and sulfur emissions
Rainbow California
About this artwork
Limited Edition of 50 Signed Prints.
Printed on archival photographic paper with premium acrylic mount,
21x28" $1,700
30x40" $2,600
45x60" $4,950
Additional sizes are available.
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