The colorful Rho Ophichui cloud complex is one the closest star forming regions in our Milky Way and a favorite target for astrophotography. Highlighted by the bright star Antares, the region provides an impressive spectacle of colorful glowing gases, juxtaposed with converging dark rivers of thick dust.
IC 4604 (Rho Ophiuchi Nebula) is a large diffuse nebula of 5th magnitude located in the southwestern corner of the constellation Ophiuchus (Serpent Bearer), surrounding the bright multiple star system ρ (Rho) Ophiuchi. Several regions of bright and dark nebulosity surround the area, which takes its name from ρ Oph.
At the mid-northern lattitudes, I normally work from, it plays a bit hard to get, as it always rides close to the horizon and is only visible for a few hours during nights from spring to mid summer.
During my Namibia trip in 2023, I had the pleasure to shoot this wonderful area riding high in the unspoiled southern hemisphere sky.
EXIF
Canon EOS-Ra
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM ll @ 135mm
Equatoriallly mounted Skywatcher AZ-GTI
IDAS 12 filter
30x 90s @ ISO1600, unfiltered & 10x 180s @ ISO6400, filtered
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