This nebula has suffered several identity crises. It was discovered in 1962 by astronomer Luboš Kohoutek in photographs from the Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS). He identified it as a planetary nebula, but it has subsequently been considered a bright nebula (LBN 809), an HII region (SS 38), a reflection nebula (DG 50) and an irregular galaxy (UGCA 100, PGC 016765). At the data base of SIMBAD  it is still described as a diffuse nebula. In Aladdin it is the reflection nebula LBN 809. Today it is clear that it is a planetary nebula (PK 173-5.1, PN G173.7-05.8), with a central blue starmagnitude 18.8.  The Kohoutek 2-1 nebula is located 3,700 light years away, in the constellation Auriga. It is
small and faint: its  size is 115 x 126 arcseconds, magnitude 13.8 and an average surface brightness of 24.1 mag/sec arc. Its signal is predominantly OIII. The HII signal is much smaller, and its morphology is almost superimposable to the OIII, so the color is quite uniform.I took short shots in RGB for the stars (30”) and longer ones (120”) to compose an RGB image to which I would later add the HII and OIII masters. I did it like this, but really the RGB shots had little participation compared to the strong OIII signal. The HII signal was weaker, but also well defined compared to RGB. Initially the morphology in OIII and HII seemed the same, except for the HII spot located in the periphery at 11 o'clock and the weak HII clouds in the background. However I processed RGB, OIII and HII independently, and by balancing the channels and improving the contrasts, a pinker tone became evident in the center of the nebula and at the 2 o'clock radius, as well as some small HII nuclei in the body of the nebula and in the frayed arc located to the southeast. The central blue star was very evident, and the general structure had a radial appearance, resembling deformed  flower petals. In the processing I was careful to maintain the brightness of the HII cloud located in the periphery at 11 o'clock. By doing so, the image shows some continuity with the faint HII clouds in the background.