IC 2944, also known as the Running Chicken Nebula, is an emission nebula located in the southern constellation of Centaurus. This expansive nebula is illuminated by the radiation from young and massive stars, which give rise to its vibrant colors and shapes.
The Running Chicken Nebula is home to several star-forming regions, including the cluster Collinder 249, which can be seen near the center of the nebula. The interplay between gas, dust, and radiation within the nebula has given rise to a variety of structures, including filaments, bubbles, and pillars.
About the Deep Space Collection:
Shot entirely with my rooftop telescope from the urban skies of Buenos Aires, the Deep Space Collection features many objects observable only from the southern hemisphere.
All images in the collection were shot using individual narrowband filters which cut off most of the light and allow only very specific wavelengths to pass (the light emitted from ionized hydrogen, oxygen and sulfur), making it possible to photograph deep space objects even from the highly light polluted skies of the city.
The images from each separate filter are then processed individually, combined and mapped to RGB channels for a final color image.
Two different color mapping palettes were used in this collection: SHO, where sulfur is mapped to red, hydrogen to green and oxygen to blue in what is referred to as "Hubble Palette" processing (as used in the images the famous space telescope) and HOO, where hydrogen is mapped to red, and oxygen to blue and green.
