vdB158
Reflection Nebula in Andromeda
About
A small blue reflection nebula in Andromeda, the illuminated end of the elongated dark cloud LBN 534. Three young B-type stars that move together light it, about 1,435 light-years away and in the neighbourhood of the Lacerta OB1 association.
Imaging tips
- Only about 4′ across, so it is too small to frame: use a long focal length and a fine pixel scale.
- Reflection nebulae need broadband; skip narrowband filters.
- The dark cloud LBN 534 stretches about 1.5° to the northeast, so a wide field shows the whole structure; one imager's frame was 80′ × 57′.
- One imager used a one-shot colour camera with a light-pollution suppression filter and stacked ten 8-minute exposures.
- Best from August to October; it passes nearly overhead, peaking near 88° altitude from 50°N.
Facts
- Size
- 4′
- Magnitude
- —
- Coordinates
- RA 23h 37.9m, Dec +48° 30′
- Framing, APS-C
- longer than 4000 mm
- Framing, full frame
- longer than 4000 mm
- Best months
- Aug, Sep, Oct
- Peak altitude
- 89° from 50°N, 77° from 35°N