vdB32
Reflection Nebula in Auriga
About
A small bluish reflection nebula in Auriga, lit by the B5V star BD+44 1080 (magnitude 9.29). Close by is the eclipsing variable ε Aurigae, which peaks at magnitude 2.92.
Imaging tips
- About 6′ across, so it is too small to frame: use a long focal length and a fine pixel scale.
- Broadband suits it; one imager used 200 min of LRGB (5 × 10 min per channel) in a 1.9 × 1.3° field.
- That field also held the open clusters Berkeley 14 and Berkeley 15.
- Best around November and December; it passes near 84° altitude from 50°N.
Facts
- Size
- 6′
- Magnitude
- —
- Coordinates
- RA 5h 2.3m, Dec +44° 16′
- Framing, APS-C
- longer than 4000 mm
- Framing, full frame
- longer than 4000 mm
- Best months
- Nov, Dec
- Peak altitude
- 84° from 50°N, 81° from 35°N