30 minutes exposure. Kodak Ektachrome 400 wide format slide film.
300mm f/2.8 Pentax lens.
The region just to the north of Antares is home to a facinating hoard of bright reflection and emission nebulae, and murky dark nebulae, with a couple of globular clusters and several double stars added in for good measure.
In the photograph below, Antares is the bright orange star to the lower right of centre. To the upper right of Antares is the fine globular cluster M4. Just above Antares is the small globular cluster NGC 6144. The deep red patch to the lower right of Antares is a flaw in the film. However the orange patch above and to the right of Antares is real. It is IC 4606 and is dust reflecting the light of Antares. One of the few times a reflection nebula is not blue!
45 minutes exposure. Fuji Provia 400 slide film.
135mm f/2.8 Vivitar lens.
The small blue nebula a little above and left of Antares is IC 4605. (see below for a larger view) Here the star 22 scorpii (SAO 184429) is illuminating a thick dust cloud. The long tail of dark nebulosity trailing away from here is B44.
45 minutes exposure. Fuji Provia 400 slide film.
135mm f/2.8 Vivitar lens.
Above M4 is a patch of red emission nebulosity surrounding the bright star sigma scorpii. This is Sharpless 2-9. The large blue nebula to the left of sigma is IC 4604, surrounding the star rho ophiuchi. (SAO 184381) To the lower right of IC 4604 is IC 4603. The two objects are clearly part of the same cloud that appear bright when there is a star imbedded within it.
60 minutes exposure. Fuji Super HG II 400 film.
5" f/5 refractor at prime focus.
This photograph is centred on IC 4605, with IC 4606 and rho ophiuchi near the top. The orange arc is an internal reflection from Antares which is just out of view to the left. The photograph below is centred on IC 4605.
