Hi all,
Another clear sky tonight, with the ‘Wizard Nebula’ as my first target for tonight. The little Dwarf is actually capturing M45 (Pleiades) while I’m writing this post, as second target of today’s session.
The Wizard Nebula (NGC 7380) is a spellbinding star-forming region located about 7,200 light-years away in the constellation Cepheus. Shaped like a celestial sorcerer with outstretched arms, it glows with vivid reds from hydrogen gas and darker, intricate dust lanes. At its heart lies a young open star cluster, also named NGC 7380, whose hot, massive stars energize the nebula and carve out its dramatic features. Spanning roughly 100 light-years, it is both a nursery for new stars and a showcase of stellar feedback shaping the cosmos. Its enchanting form makes it a favourite target for astrophotographers and skywatchers alike.
2 hours and 2 minutes – 122 subs – 60 seconds exposure – Gain 60 – Duo-band filter
I’m typically quite prone to pareidolia (ability to recognise faces, animals, or figures in random or ambiguous stimuli like clouds, rock formations, nebulae, etc.). However, I was struggling a bit to see a wizard here. I actually had to look it up on Wikipedia to find a clue where to look for the image of the Wizard exactly. Ok, there you are, found him! Now I do see it on my image too actually!
Another one in the books!
To endless exploration, starry nights, and a little bit of cosmic nerdiness!
TTG
