Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Cassiopeia (Cas)  ·  Contains:  HD5342  ·  HD5747  ·  HD5777  ·  HD5797  ·  HD5890  ·  HD6130  ·  IC 59  ·  IC 63  ·  LBN 620  ·  LBN 622  ·  LBN 623  ·  LBN 625  ·  Sh2-185  ·  gamma Cas nebula
Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
IC-63       "Cassie's Ghost", Steve Argereow
Powered byPixInsight

IC-63 "Cassie's Ghost"

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
IC-63       "Cassie's Ghost", Steve Argereow
Powered byPixInsight

IC-63 "Cassie's Ghost"

Equipment

Loading...

Acquisition details

Loading...

Description

                                          IC-63  "The Ghost of Cassiopeia"

Powerful gushers of energy from seething stars can sculpt eerie-looking figures with long flowing veils of gas and dust. One striking example is
"The Ghost of Cassiopeia," officially known as IC 63, located 550 light-years away in the constellation Cassiopeia the Queen.

The nebula’s ethereal glow might remind people of apparitions such as those reported by paranormal investigators. In reality, it's simply
hydrogen that is being bombarded with ultraviolet radiation from the nearby, blue-giant star Gamma Cassiopeiae (Navi), causing it to glow in red light.
The blue color is from light reflected off of the nebula’s dust.

The IC 63 nebula is not the only object under the influence of the blinding star, which unleashes as much energy as 34,000 suns. The Ghost Nebula
is part of a much larger nebulous region surrounding Gamma Cassiopeiae that measures approximately two degrees on the sky — roughly four times
as wide as the full Moon

Information Credits:  NASA

Telescope:  Explorer Scientific 127mm CF APO Refractor f/7.5  (952mm Focal Length)
Explore Scientific X0.7 Reducer f/5.25 (667mm Focal Length)
Mount  IOptron CEM40
Camera ZWOASI6200MC-Pro  Temp -10C, Binning 1 x 1, Gain 100 Offset 50     
ZWO  EFW

30 X 180 Second Exposures W/Optolong L-Extreme Filter  (6nm)
30 X 300 Second Exposures W/Optolong L-Extreme Filter  (6nm)
50 Dark Frames/100 Flats
Total Integration Time:  4  Hours 0 Minutes
Acquisition with SharpCap
Stacked with Astro Pixel Processor
Guiding PHD2
Processed with Astra Image/GIMP
Photo taken from Seven Lakes, NC  Bortle 4.5

Comments

Sky plot

Sky plot

Histogram

IC-63       "Cassie's Ghost", Steve Argereow