Paweł Radomski: Orion's Whisper (Lower's Nebula)

Paweł Radomski: Orion's Whisper (Lower's Nebula) - The Secret at the Edge of the Hunter

You think you know Orion. It is the most famous constellation in the winter sky, home to the blinding brightness of the Great Orion Nebula and the iconic silhouette of the Horsehead. But at the northernmost edge of the Hunter, far from the crowds of amateur telescopes, lies a silent masterpiece that almost everyone overlooks.

This is Sh2-261, known as Lower's Nebula. It is the "wronged sibling" of the Orion family—fainter, more subtle, and infinitely harder to capture. While thousands of lenses pointed at the famous belt stars, Paweł Radomski turned his telescope to the edge of the Milky Way's Orion Arm to listen to this cosmic whisper.

Unfortunately, very few people photograph this beautiful nebula. Another issue is that it is much fainter than the surrounding gems and requires far more time to present it properly. I decided to pay tribute to this somewhat forgotten nebula and devote a lot of my winter nights to it. - Paweł

Why This Image Belongs on Your Wall

Capturing Orion's Whisper is an act of defiance against the easy path. Because Sh2-261 is so much fainter than its famous neighbors, it demands patience that few astrophotographers possess. Radomski devoted night after freezing winter night to this single target, slowly accumulating the photons necessary to reveal its hidden structure.

The result is a study in contrast. A brilliant, oxygen-rich core glows in electric blues, energized by the hot star HD 41997, while surrounding clouds of hydrogen emission billow in deep, textured reds. It looks less like a chaotic explosion and more like a delicate, suspended breath—a whisper of creation 3,200 light-years away.

This print isn't for the person who wants the obvious choice. It is for the collector who values the rare, the difficult, and the beautifully obscure.

Technical details

• Scope: TS Newton 8" f/5 Carbon
• Mount: Sky Watcher AZ-EQ6
• Camera: ZWO ASI 2600MM-Camera
• Filters: Antlia Ha 3nm / OIII 3nm / RGB
• Processing: PixInsight 
  

Exposure Times

• Ha:400x180sec
• OIII: 215x180sec
• RGB: 10x60sec each channel
• TOTAL: 31h 15'
  

Choose Your Quality Level

Fine Art Print – Museum-Grade Legacy

For those who appreciate the subtlety of the "forgotten" nebula, our Fine Art option is the only choice. We use museum-grade archival papers and premium inks to preserve the delicate interplay between the faint red hydrogen tendrils and the striking blue oxygen core. This is a print rated to last over 200 years—a permanent tribute to the dedication required to capture it. Perfect for serious collectors who want a piece of Orion that virtually no one else has.

Poster – Accessible Beauty

Bring the secret side of Orion into your space without the museum price tag. Our poster version delivers Radomski’s stunning tribute to Lower's Nebula with sharp detail and vibrant color contrast. It is an ideal choice for offices, studios, or any room that needs a window into the quieter corners of the cosmos.

Who Is This Print For?

• The Connoisseur – You already have the famous nebulae. You’ve seen M42 and the Horsehead a thousand times. You are looking for the deep cuts—the objects that prove you really know the night sky.
• The Champion of the Overlooked – You gravitate toward the quiet achievers, the beautiful things that don’t scream for attention. You understand that just because something is fainter doesn't mean it's less magnificent.
• The Orion Lover – You love the winter sky, but you want a complete picture of the Hunter, not just his belt and sword. This completes your constellation map.
• The Patient Soul – You respect the effort. You know that this image represents weeks of freezing nights devoted to a single, difficult goal. It serves as a daily reminder that patience reveals beauty.
• The Interior Designer – You need art that balances warmth (red hydrogen) with cool accents (blue oxygen core), creating a striking focal point that invites closer inspection without overwhelming the room.

Bring the Whisper Home

This is Paweł Radomski’s tribute to the overlooked. This is the red and blue jewel hidden at the edge of the Orion Arm. This is the silence amidst the noise of the winter sky.