Sunday, Nov 17, 2024

VdB 152, LDN 1221, LBN 534, and LBN 538 belong to a complex region in the constellation of Cepheus, rich with a variety of astrophysical phenomena. VdB 152 is a faint reflection nebula at the edge of a dark molecular cloud, Barnard 175, where the light from a nearby star is reflected by surrounding dust. LDN 1221 is the dark nebula on the top left area of the image. LDN 1221 is actively forming stars within its dense core. Infrared and radio observations have revealed outflows from young stars, indicating al least three new protostars are forming inside the nebula. LBN 534 and LBN 538 are emission nebulae located in the same region. Adding to the complexity of the scene is the H-alpha emission in the background, dominated by the supernova remnant G 110.3 + 11.3. This supernova remnant stretches across the image, with its H-alpha emission creating a red glow. This image has been taken from Àger, Catalonia, during August and September 2024 from my own observatory under a Bortle 3 sky. Total integration time has been 42 hours.