vdB4
Reflection Nebula in Cassiopeia
About
A reflection nebula in Cassiopeia built around the variable V594 Cas and tied to the very young open cluster NGC 225, about 2,200 light-years away. It is probably what remains of the cloud the cluster formed from.
Imaging tips
- Only about 6′ across, so it is too small to frame: use a long focal length and a fine pixel scale.
- Reflection nebulae need broadband. One imager gathered 5 hours of LRGB (12 ten-minute luminance subs, six per colour) on a 12-inch f/3.6 astrograph.
- Another imager combined deep LRGB data with 18 twenty-minute Hα frames, mixing the Hα into both the red and the blue channel in Photoshop.
- Best in September and October, peaking near 78° altitude from 50°N.
Facts
- Size
- 6′
- Magnitude
- —
- Coordinates
- RA 0h 43.3m, Dec +61° 55′
- Framing, APS-C
- longer than 4000 mm
- Framing, full frame
- longer than 4000 mm
- Best months
- Sep, Oct
- Peak altitude
- 78° from 50°N, 63° from 35°N