I did it! I managed to capture the Bat and the Squid from my terrace in the city with a color camera! I am quite excited for my catch as this object is considered by many to be a very faint and hard one.
My effort lasted a month as I used every clear night for this astro endeavor
Here is what I managed to find for the objects - all situated in the Cepheus constellation:
- SH2-129 - The Bat - a bright emission nebula. Distance from our solar system - 9 318 light years. Its size is estimated at 100 x 35 archminutes thus corresponding to a physical diameter of 271 light years. Comparing it to the size of the Moon - it takes an area on the night sky equal to 6 full Moons.
As for the name I see the Bat as follows - the circular structure at the bottom as the head and the two brighter jets of material that start from it and go up - as its wings.
- OU4 - The Squid - a not so bright area of mainly OIII. Its form resembles the form of the body of a Squid. This nebula was discovered recently - in Y2011 by the French astro-imager Nicolas Outters. It is believed the nebula to be situated within SH2-129. Its size on the night sky is 2.5 full Moons.
At present it is not certain what the nature of OU4 is. Two options are considered:
- a planetary nebula - which if true would mean that this is the closest and biggest PN that is discovered up to now.
- a jet of material that is ejected from the young stars in the middle of the Squid - HR 8119 and company.
- LBN 446 / Cederblat 191 - a ball of nebula in the lower right corned. Apart from its catalogue number and size - 12x10 archmin - I couldn't find any additional data. It seems that it has formed around the star V421 Cep and considering by its color it consists of HA and OIII.
Clear skies!
Ivan
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