NGC 2024, IC 434

Night under the open sky, January 3, 2026. The temperature dropped to a peak of -15°C. The forecast promised a clear sky all night, but in reality, there was haze, a full moon, and it was right at the zenith. The main goal was to test the battery, with the bonus of capturing the Flame and Horsehead nebulae. The battery performed excellently. It worked perfectly from 5:00 PM to 4:00 AM. The only downside is that it can’t power a laptop directly—an inverter is needed. I encountered laptop freezing. It felt like it had locked up, but fortunately, it was mainly the battery that froze (the laptop's metal casing). Wrapping it in a blanket solved the issue; inside the blanket, it warmed itself up and started working properly again. I also had the first light with the SVBONY USB hub. I’m satisfied with its performance. It worked well, but the number of USB ports is only enough for the most essential equipment. **Horsehead Nebula** Designation: IC 434 (also known as the "Horsehead") Visible as a dark patch in the shape of a horse's head against a red glow. This glow is due to the ionization of hydrogen clouds behind the nebula, caused by radiation from the nearby bright star (ζ Orionis). **Flame Nebula** Designation: NGC 2024 (also known as the "Flame" or "Torch"). Located near the bright star Alnitak, the easternmost star in Orion's Belt. Radiation from this star ionizes the hydrogen gas in the Flame Nebula, and as the gas cools, it releases energy in the form of light, creating the visible glow. Processing by @CAHEK_61 Parameters: Telescope: SW 150/750 Mount: HEQ5 Pro Camera: Canon 450D MOD Guide scope: Angeleyes 50mm Guide camera: Datyson T7C Coma corrector: MEYON 2’’ MPC 1x Filter: LAIDA dual-band 7 nm Total integration: 7 hours 85 frames at 300 seconds each ISO 800 Location: Volnoye village, Krasnodar Krai January 3, 2026 Bortle scale: 5 Software: GraXpert, PixInsight