Cygnus to Cepheus Nebulas Panorama (2025) With Labels
This is a short panorama along the northern Milky Way in Cygnus and southern Cepheus, highlighting the many emission nebulas in this region:
- At centre, most obvious is the North America Nebula, NGC 7000, and the companion Pelican Nebula, IC 5067. Below it is the faint arc of the Clamshell Nebula, Sharpless 2-119. Above NGC 7000 is the bright star Deneb.
- At right of centre is the Gamma Cygni complex of IC 1318 made of many bits! The main part near the star Sadr is the Butterfly Nebula.
- Just to the right of IC 1318 is the small (on this scale) arc of the Crescent Nebula, NGC 6888.
- To the right of the Crescent is the bright red spot of the Tulip Nebula, Sharpless 2-101.
- At bottom are the arcs of the supernova remnant, the Veil Nebula, NGC 6960 and NGC 6992/5.
- At top left in Cepheus is the large and round IC 1396, sometimes called the Elephant Trunk Nebula.
- Left of centre is the long dark streak of the Dark Cigar Nebula, Barnard 168, and at its end the small round bright Cocoon Nebula, IC 5146.
- Between Elephant Trunk and North America nebulas is the dark nebula called the Funnel Cloud, for its tornado shape. It is also LeGentil 3.
- The dark region to the right of the North America and below Deneb is referred to as the Northern Coal Sack.
Some star clusters are also prominent:
- Below and left of the Cocoon Nebula is NGCC 7209 in Lacerta
- To the right of the Veil Nebula is NGC 6940 in Vulpecula
- At top right is NGC 6819, the Foxhead Cluster, in Cygnus.
Technical:
This is a panorama or mosaic of 2 segments, each 15 x 2 minute exposures with the Canon RF28-70mm lens at 70mm and f/2, on the astro-modified Canon Ra camera at ISO 1250. The camera was on the MSM Nomad star tracker.
The camera had a clip-in nebula filter installed, an Astronomik UHC-E dual narrowband, to block all but the green and red wavelengths of emission nebulas. All frames were through the UHC filter, as a test — and it worked quite well to bring out the nebulas without introducing too much of colour shift to discolour the stars or background sky. Taken from home on a very fine night, July 31, 2025. Frames stacked and stitched in Photoshop.
Cygnus to Cepheus Nebulas Panorama (2025) With Labels
This is a short panorama along the northern Milky Way in Cygnus and southern Cepheus, highlighting the many emission nebulas in this region:
- At centre, most obvious is the North America Nebula, NGC 7000, and the companion Pelican Nebula, IC 5067. Below it is the faint arc of the Clamshell Nebula, Sharpless 2-119. Above NGC 7000 is the bright star Deneb.
- At right of centre is the Gamma Cygni complex of IC 1318 made of many bits! The main part near the star Sadr is the Butterfly Nebula.
- Just to the right of IC 1318 is the small (on this scale) arc of the Crescent Nebula, NGC 6888.
- To the right of the Crescent is the bright red spot of the Tulip Nebula, Sharpless 2-101.
- At bottom are the arcs of the supernova remnant, the Veil Nebula, NGC 6960 and NGC 6992/5.
- At top left in Cepheus is the large and round IC 1396, sometimes called the Elephant Trunk Nebula.
- Left of centre is the long dark streak of the Dark Cigar Nebula, Barnard 168, and at its end the small round bright Cocoon Nebula, IC 5146.
- Between Elephant Trunk and North America nebulas is the dark nebula called the Funnel Cloud, for its tornado shape. It is also LeGentil 3.
- The dark region to the right of the North America and below Deneb is referred to as the Northern Coal Sack.
Some star clusters are also prominent:
- Below and left of the Cocoon Nebula is NGCC 7209 in Lacerta
- To the right of the Veil Nebula is NGC 6940 in Vulpecula
- At top right is NGC 6819, the Foxhead Cluster, in Cygnus.
Technical:
This is a panorama or mosaic of 2 segments, each 15 x 2 minute exposures with the Canon RF28-70mm lens at 70mm and f/2, on the astro-modified Canon Ra camera at ISO 1250. The camera was on the MSM Nomad star tracker.
The camera had a clip-in nebula filter installed, an Astronomik UHC-E dual narrowband, to block all but the green and red wavelengths of emission nebulas. All frames were through the UHC filter, as a test — and it worked quite well to bring out the nebulas without introducing too much of colour shift to discolour the stars or background sky. Taken from home on a very fine night, July 31, 2025. Frames stacked and stitched in Photoshop.