galacticsights

astrophotography

Sh2-155, Cave Nebula

2021-10-14, 2021-10-28 / Click on image to enlarge


"An image full of colours"

The Cave Nebula lies about 2,400 light years away from Earth in the constellation Cepheus. The “cave” has a bright rim of ionized hydrogen gas energized by radiation from the hot stars, dominated by the brightest star above and right of the cave. Radiation driven ionization fronts are likely triggering collapsing cores and new star formation within. The main “cave” structure is 10 light-years across. On the right side of the image is a blue reflection nebula, vdB 155.

Technical Details

LocationZollikerberg, Switzerland
CameraNikon DSLR D810A
TelescopeTS ONTC 12" f/4 Carbon Newton
OpticsTS 2,5" Wynne Coma Corrector
Focal Length1113mm
MountiOptron CEM120 Center-Balanced Equatorial Mount
AutoguidingMGEN-3 (Dithering)
FocuserMoonlite
Planetarium SoftwareStellarium
Image Session ControlAPT - Astro Photography Tool v3.88, ASCOM Platform 6
Lights98 x 120s / 72 * 120s (total 5h40'), ISO-1600, additional Biases, Flats, no Darks
Stacking SoftwarePixinsight 1.8, Drizzle 2x
Image ProcessingPixinsight 1.8