The Witch Head Nebula is a striking and eerie interstellar cloud of dust and gas located in the constellation Orion. Its distinct shape, resembling the profile of a witch’s face in profile, is created by the illumination of nearby stars. This nebula spans about 50 light-years across and is primarily composed of hydrogen gas, which glows faintly in the presence of ultraviolet radiation from neighboring stars. The nebula is a site of ongoing star formation, with young, hot stars embedded within its dusty tendrils.
I tried to capture this nebula several times, but the outcomes were always questionable. This time I had excellent sky conditions – no clouds, no humidity, and nothing that bothered me in creating finally the image I like.

Telescope | Askar ACL200 |
Aperture | 50 mm |
Focal length | 200 mm |
Mount | iOptron HEM15 |
Autoguiding | ZWO ASI485MC, QHY Mini Guide Scope |
Camera | ZWO 6200MC @0°C |
Filters | – |
Exposure | 101x300s, Gain 100, bin 1×1, |
Date | 2024-09-29 |