The Lion Nebula Sh2-132 is a weak emission nebula near the constellations of Cepheus and Lacerta. It’s thought to be between 10,000 and 12,000 light years away.
The main components of this emission nebula are hydrogen and oxygen gases, which are stimulated to a high energy state by ultra violet light from nearby stars and subsequently re-emit the light. The darker areas are “dark nebulae,” which are dust clouds that obscure light.
This image is a combination of narrowband wavelengths of light. A colour palette known as SHO (SII, Ha, OIII). The reddish areas are Ha and SII emissions and the blue is OIII.
I was happy to be informed that this image was selected as Picture of the Day by Astronomy Magazine for April 1, 2022.
Image technical:
- Skywatcher Esprit 100mm F5.5 Triplet Refractor https://bit.ly/3wfqoci
- QHY268M CMOS Camera (https://bit.ly/3Aj23FE), 26mp, 3.76um @ -10C
- QHY CFW3-L 7 position https://bit.ly/3jAp9Sb
- Optolong Ha-OIII-SII filters https://bit.ly/3dvhqBa
- Skywatcher EQ6 mount / Skyshed Pier (Skyshedpod.com)
- Pegasus Astro Focus Cube (EAF) https://bit.ly/3dzagfr
- NINA 1.11 (nightly build) for acquisition
- Processed in PixInsight
- Seeing and transparency: average to good
- Total integration time: 11hr (5min subs)
- Location: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Have you imaged the Lion Nebula? Let me know in the comments below!
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