Iris Nebula

The Iris Nebula, also NGC 7023 and Caldwell 4, is a bright reflection nebula and Caldwell object in the constellation Cepheus. Reflection nebulae are clouds of interstellar dust which reflect the light of a nearby star or stars. The energy from the nearby stars is insufficient to ionize the gas of the nebula to create an emission nebula, but is enough to give sufficient scattering to make the dust visible. NGC 7023 is actually the cluster within the nebula, LBN 487, and the nebula is lit by a magnitude +7 star, SAO 19158. It shines at magnitude +6.8. It is located near the Mira-type variable star T Cephei, and near the bright magnitude +3.23 variable star Beta Cephei (Alphirk). It lies 1,300 light-years away and is six light-years across.

 

This image is a quick processing to what, if anything, would come out...and enough did come out to make it worth removing some more of the lower quality frames and adding some better ones.

 

66 x 30 second exposures at 6400 ISO

10 x dark frames

8 x flat frames

24 x bias/offset frames (applied to flat frames only

 

Processed in Nebulosity and Photoshop

Done