Alnilan (Epsilon Orion) Area
This is something a little different. The bright blue star in the middle is the middle of the 3 belt stars in Orion, and the blue area around it is NGC 1990 (see more info below). North is to the right at about 4 o'clock On the lower right you can see the blue reflection nebula IC 426. (You may have to scroll your browser window to see it.) Above and to the right of IC426 you can see a blue reflection nebula that I believe is VDB 48. PGC 3081033 is the tiny galaxy mid-right, just below a blue star, and this is easier to see in the blow-up below. I haven't been able to figure out a name for the very dim nebulous region at the lower left of the frame. Above left you can make out some fringes of the Horsehead/Flame Nebula area. There's a tiny, dim nebula towards the upper right that is DG 71, see below.
Exposure details: Only 5x4min exposures = 20 minutes total exposure. HAS site near Columbus, TX, 2/26/2006. Std Disclaimer: More exposure would be better! Takahashi TOA 130 (a 5" APO refractor) and Canon EOS D20a. My current image processing workflow is here.
Dick Locke's HAS Astrophotography Index
You can clearly see the cigar-shaped galaxy in the upper left of the frame (see more below). Kenneth Drake has provided some information about the smaller nebulae above the main object:
Another great image. I was trying to figure out the small reflection object at ra 5 37 12.8 dec -00 20 50. It's the top one Above IC426 in your image. When I originally drew them into MegaStar, I did not even name them, thinking they were just outlying parts of the IC object. Looks like Simbad now shows....
3 objects: identifier |otyp| FK5 (2000/2000) | B&V magnitudes | sp. type | nref DG 63 | RNe| 05 37 13 -00 21.0 | | | 2 HD 290731 | *| 05 37 16.58 -00 19 48.7 | 11.5 11.0 | A3 | 1 Haro 5-79 | Em*| 05 37 18.7 -00 20 41 | : 13.9 | | 2
Kenneth Drake was kind enough to send this image of this area... I can make out the three galaxies shown here on my picture of this area... Check the "bigger IC426" below for more detail. Amazing!
 bigger IC426 |  M78 from same night |  DG71, full size (upper right of picture on top) |
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Contact and Image Use Information
Object name: NGC 1990
Equatorial 2000: RA: 05h 36m 13s Dec: -01°12'05"
Source catalog: Revised NGC
Constellation: ORI
Remarks: Epsilon Ori "nebula"
Dreyer description : A magnificent (or otherwise interesting) object!, extremely large, extended, epsilon Ori involved westward.
Data about the reflection nebula at the top right:
Central coordinates of the field (J2000):
| RA: | 05 39 24.0 |
| Dec: | -00 36 06 |
LBN 204.03-15.35 -- Reflection Nebula
http://aladin.u-strasbg.fr/AladinPreview?05%2039%2024%20-00%2036.1&ident=LBN%20204.03-15.35
LBN 204.03-15.35 DG 71 LBN 925 [OS98] 43 [RK68] 35 Nearby Star info below Object name: UCAC 2.0 Star Magnitude: 15.28 Equatorial: RA: 05h 39m 42.62s Dec: -00°35'25.10"(current) Equatorial 2000: RA: 05h 39m 23.05s Dec: -00°35'39.44" Horizon: Azim: 165°44'36.11" Alt: +58°11'09.19" Visibility: Rise 15:22, Set 03:27 Transit time: 21:22 Object type: Star 2 MASS ID: 108068148 2 MASS mag H: 13.068 2 MASS mag K: 12.937 2 MASS mag J: 13.555 Hour angle: -00h 29m 31.73s Air mass: 1.18 Screen x,y: 806.00, 418.00 Proper Motion: 17.10, 2.10 Sidereal time: 05:10 Click distance: 1.0000 Celestial type: 0 Julian date: 2453765.6198 Angular separation: 00°18'58.91"
Object name: GSC 4767:513
Magnitude: 13.4
Equatorial: RA: 05h 39m 45s Dec: -00°36'16"(current)
Equatorial 2000: RA: 05h 39m 26s Dec: -00°36'30"
Horizon: Azim: 165°43'48" Alt: +58°10'12"
Visibility: Rise 15:22, Set 03:27
Transit time: 21:22
Object type: Star
Source catalog: GSC catalog
Hour angle: -00h 29m 34s
Air mass: 1.18
Screen x,y: 789.00, 386.00
Sidereal time: 05:10
Click distance: 1.0000
Celestial type: 21
Julian date: 2453765.6198
Angular separation: 00°01'03"
Data about the galaxy, Object name: PGC 3081033
Magnitude: 30.0
Equatorial: RA: 05h 37m 12s Dec: -00°40'37"(current)
Equatorial 2000: RA: 05h 36m 53s Dec: -00°40'53"
Horizon: Azim: 166°56'31" Alt: +58°13'43"
Size: 0.6 x 0.3
Visibility: Rise 15:20, Set 03:24
Transit time: 21:20
Object type: Galaxy
Source catalog: PGC (Principal Galaxies Catalog)
Position angle: 76°00'
Hour angle: -00h 27m 01s
Air mass: 1.18
Screen x,y: 568.00, 454.00
Sidereal time: 05:10
Click distance: 1.0000
Catalog number: 3081033
Celestial type: 4
NGC/IC: 0
Julian date: 2453765.6198
Catalog: 0
Angular separation: 00°04'53"