Miguel Claro is a talented photographer, author, and science communicator residing in Lisbon, Portugal, known for creating stunning night sky imagery. As a Photo Ambassador for the European Southern Observatory, a member of The World At Night, and the official astrophotographer for the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, he focuses on “Skyscapes” that beautifully merge Earth with the cosmos.
This detailed view of the Orion Constellation shines with reddish tones due to its visualization of hydrogen alpha emission, a form of light generated by hydrogen atoms.
The large, detailed arc surrounding the three stars that create Orion’s belt is known as Barnard’s Loop (Sh2-276), a nebula located roughly 1,600 light-years away and spanning around 300 light-years in diameter. Barnard’s Loop is part of the larger Orion molecular cloud complex, which consists of dust, hydrogen, and helium, serving as a stellar nursery.
I have always aspired to create an image like this, showcasing the beautiful reddish hydrogen enveloping one of the most extraordinary regions of the night sky as seen from Earth. This area includes notable features like M42, the Horse Head Nebula, LDN 1622, the large Lambda Orionis Ring, and the bluish (OIII) Witch Head Nebula near the star Rigel.
My setup for capturing this shot (Samyang 35mm f1.8 with Poseidon C Pro) was ready and waiting for two months before the Orion constellation appeared in the right conditions. The process was a bit tricky due to inclement weather and because Orion was starting to set earlier in the western sky.
I had only 40 minutes of clear skies available each night between February and March 2025 at the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve in Portugal, which meant it took several nights to gather the seven hours of data needed for this image. If I had attempted it earlier in winter, I could have completed it in just one night. I hope you appreciate the result.
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