Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Cepheus (Cep)  ·  Contains:  HD14  ·  HD223274  ·  HD223670  ·  HD224826  ·  HD225216  ·  LBN 580  ·  LBN 581  ·  LBN 582  ·  LBN 583  ·  LBN 584  ·  LBN 586  ·  LBN 587  ·  LBN 588  ·  LBN 589  ·  LDN 1264  ·  LDN 1266  ·  LDN 1267  ·  LDN 1268  ·  LDN 1269  ·  LDN 1270  ·  LDN 1271  ·  LDN 1273  ·  LDN 1275  ·  NGC 7762  ·  NGC 7822  ·  Sh2-171
Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
CED 214 - A bright nebula in Cepheus, Monty Chandler
Powered byPixInsight
Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
CED 214 - A bright nebula in Cepheus, Monty Chandler
Powered byPixInsight

Equipment

Loading...

Acquisition details

Loading...

Description

There is an area of our sky here in the western hemisphere that circles the North star (Polaris) 24x7, never setting.  These constellations include Cygnus, Cepheus and Cassiopeia - all of which we are somewhat familiar with if we do any stargazing from North America.  Looking deep into these we see areas of interest to photograph.  Ced 214 is one such area.

This is an image of a strong Hydrogen emission area referred to as Ced 214 (NGC 7822) and is a young star forming complex in the constellation Cepheus, bordering the constellation Cassiopeia.  The large but faint complex encompasses the HII emission region designated Sharpless 171, and the young cluster of stars named Berkeley 59.  

The main nebula structure consists of several separately cataloged objects including some of Lynds bright and Dark catalog objects. The bottom part of the structure also has the open cluster Berkeley 59. Several of the dark regions are identified in the Dobashi Dark Nebula catalog. The overall object is also known from its entry in the Cederblad catalog (CED 214 A and B) but the original catalog has these two references as smaller parts of this overall field.

The complex also includes one of the hottest stars discovered within 1 kpc of the Sun, exhibiting a surface temperature of nearly 45,000 K and a luminosity about 100,000 times that of our Sun. The star is one of the primary sources illuminating the nebula region and shaping the complex's famed pillars of creation-type formations.

Image contains a combination of 160 images at 240sec and 90 images at 360sec exposures totaling 70,800 seconds, or 1,180 minutes, or 19.66 hours of exposure taken 7/29, 9/21, 11/13, 11/15 and 11/18 2020 at unity gain and cooled to 20f.

Gear:

Skywatcher EQ6r Pro
WO Z73 - 440mm telescope
ZWO ASI071MC Pro imaging camera
WO 50mm Guide Scope
ZWO ASI120mm mini guide camera
Senso Sesto focuser
QHY Polemaster
Pegasus Power Box Advanced
Dew Heaters (2)
8 year old Acer Netbook

Software:

Windows 10 Pro platform
APT - Capture software
Eqmod - mount control
PHD2 - guiding
Polemaster - polar alignment
ASTAP - plate solving
PixInsight for all image processing
Photoshop for JPEG creation
Remote Desktop Connection - remote management via wireless lan from primary PC in my office (~50 yards)

Comments

Sky plot

Sky plot

Histogram

CED 214 - A bright nebula in Cepheus, Monty Chandler