I had photographed the object for the first time at the beginning of 2024, so about a year ago from the last session at the end of December. At that time, I used my first dedicated astro camera, a ZWO ASI 183 MC Pro. The LINK to the article from 03.01.2024 contains the object description of the H2 region.

The following picture shows the image from back then

One year later with narrow band filters

While the first images a year ago involved an exposure time of 3 hours only with an OSC (ASI 183 MC Pro), the new image was taken on Dec 29, 2024 and shows the result of 6 hours of exposure time with narrow-band filters (3nm SHO each 2 hours) and 3 hours of RGB data captured with the ASI 2600 MM Pro. The optical equipment has also changed: the 8-inch Skywatcher Newtonian has been replaced by a 10-inch Newtonian, whose high-quality AstroReflect and Antares mirrors deliver really good results. Last but not least, my image processing skills have grown accordingly 🙂

The Final Capture

I have returned to this celestial nursery with fresh eyes, a deeper understanding, and a new sense of artistic direction. This latest processing of NGC 2174 represents more than just an improvement in technique. It shows the progress in how I perceive and compose these images. By changing the orientation, I aimed to improve the overall composition and bring out more depth and structure in the nebula.

This version of NGC 2174 marks another step forward in my astrophotography journey, perhaps both technically and creatively.