SUNSET: 
0
Photographer:
Hal Heaton
Location of Photo:
Chilescope
Date/Time of photo:
April 7, 8 and May 2, 2025
Equipment:
ASA 500 field-corrected Newtonian (0.5m aperture, f/3.86); FLI Proline 16803 CCD camera (1x1 binning, guided, 300s exposures); ADA DDM85 equatorial mount); Astrodon filters -R (40 min), G (40 min), and B (45 mins)
Description:
IC 4603 is a reflection nebula within the Ophiuchus Molecular Cloud situated about 2 deg NNW of the bright star Antares in Scorpius and a degree south of the multiple-star system rho Ophiuchi. The ~ 1x1 deg square field shown here is part of a much larger and colorful complex that is heavily obscured by dust and actively forming stars. Discovered in the late 1800’s by E. E. Barnard, it is mainly illuminated by the variable eighth magnitude star HD147889 near the center of the frame. The fainter star slightly above and to the right of it is the T Tauri type variable CD-24 12683. The blue nebulosity at the top of the image is part of IC 4604, another reflection nebula that is illuminated by the rho Ophiuchi system that lies just above the captured scene. North is up and east is to the left
