IC 424 - Reflection Nebula
IC 424 is a reflection nebula in the constellation Orion, which can be found at a distance of 1,500 light-years in between the two bright stars "Mintaka" and "Alnitam".
It was discovered photographically by Wilhelmina Fleming in 1888. From the apparent size of 2.5x1.5' (arcminutes) the true size can be determined to 1.1x0.7
light-years, which is quite small for a nebula.
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In my 20" f/3.2 telescope IC 424 appears quite faint due to its low surface brightness, but is nevertheless easily visible with indirect vision. With a little good will the
nebula appears a tiny bit darker in the center. Two fainter stars in the nebular masses appear like two eyes staring at you.... Actually quite funny... ;)
There are some brighter stars in the field of view, which offer a nice contrast.
