2023/08/31 - 2023/09/01:

Last night and into this morning we had clear sky. but a bright moon, however I didn't want to waste the night.  I debated using the Optolong L-Enhance vs. the Optolong - LPro for this object.  Maybe the L-enHance might have been the better choice for my ASI2600MCP.Sh 2-171Coordinates: (118.41°, 4.68°)[ Catalog | Explorer | SIMBAD ]This expanding shell of gas and dust was created by the original star cluster at the heart of the Cep OB4association, which has now dispersed. It is now lit and ionized by the young star cluster Berkeley 59(forming the bright nebula called Cederblad 214) and it is expanding into the fainter diffuse nebula NGC 7822. Berkeley 59 is surrounded by another dark region of disturbed gas and dust containing the radio source W1.

Avedisova lists 4 O-stars that ionise this nebula. The hottest of these is the O7 V BD +66 1675. She places Sh 2-171 in star formation region SFR 118.41+4.68 with 46 components, including 3 masers, 14 infrared sources and the dark nebula LDN 1271.

A 2008 study adds a fifth ionising O-star to Berkeley 59, hotter than than any of the ones Avedisova identified. Spectographic analysis reveals that BD +66 1673 has a class of O5 V((f))n. The same study concludes that Berkeley 59 is 2 million years old. A second 2008 study agrees on the age and comments that Berkeley 59 has nine ionising stars in total (classes O-B3).

There are more details on this nebula in the Cep OB4 section of the description of the Brain and Bubble (120° - 110°) sector of the Commentary on the Galactic Plane. You can also see the location of Cep OB4 and Sh 2-171 within the relatively nearby Cepheus molecular clouds on this face-on map. 

You can see a spectacular image of this region here and view the large shell surrounding the nebula in visual light and in this IRAS infrared image.Berkeley 59 has nine ionising stars in total (O-B3), an age of 2 million years and a distance of 1000 +/- 50 parsecs.[1]

For one of the eclipsing systems, BD+66°1673, spectroscopic observations reveal it to be an O5 V((f))n star and the probable ionizing star of the Berkeley 59/Cep OB4 complex. An analysis of spectroscopic observations and BV photometry for Berkeley 59 members in conjunction with published observations imply a cluster age of ~2 Myr, a distance of d = 883 ±43 pc, and a reddening of EB-V = 1.38 ±0.02.[2]Notes 1. ^ Pandey, A. K., Sharma, Saurabh, Ogura, K., et al. (2008). "Stellar contents and star formation in the young star cluster Be 59", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 383, 1241-1258. [2008MNRAS.383.1241P]  2. ^ Majaess, D. J., Turner, D. G., Lane, D. J., et al. (2008). "The Exciting Star of the Berkeley 59/Cepheus OB4 Complex and Other Chance Variable Star Discoveries", Journal of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (JAAVSO), Vol. 36, 90. [2008JAVSO..36...90M] Distance estimates840 pc [1982ApJS...49..183B] 
790 pc +/- 110 [1984NInfo..56...59A] 
883 pc +/- 43 [2008JAVSO..36...90M] 
1000 pc +/- 50 [2008MNRAS.383.1241P]

@http://galaxymap.org/cat/view/sharpless/171