Click on the image for a full screen zoomable version.
Nested between the well-known constellations Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, and Cygnus – which are teeming with frequently imaged DSOs – is the small constellation of Lacerta. It contains no Messier objects and just one Caldwell object (C16, an open cluster), but despite this seeming lack of DSOs, there is a huge yet faint hidden gem. The massive HII emission nebula known as Sh2-126 spans several degrees of sky, beyond the bottom of my framing. The most prominent molecular cloud near the center is known as LBN 437, which features an interesting hourglass-shaped reflection nebula around the variable star V0375 Lac (best viewed with zoom). LBN 442 is the molecular cloud to the left of it and LBN 448 is in the upper left corner.
Equipment
| Telescopes: | Celestron Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt Astrograph 11″ |
| Cameras: | QHYCCD QHY367C |
| Mount: | Orion Atlas Pro AZ/EQ |
| Guiding: | QHY5III178M & Astromania 60mm Guide Scope |
Capture Details
| Dates: | September 27 & 28, & October 11, 2019 |
| Frames: | Astronomik H-alpha 12nm: 71 x 180″ (3.6 hours) Astronomik L2 UV/IR Cut: 392 x 60″ (6.5 hours) |
| Total Integration: | 10.1 hours |
| Bortle Zone: | 5 – 19.75 measured avg. SQM |
| Software: | PixInsight, AstroPixelProcessor, Adobe Lightroom |