Whilst the highlight is the alluring bright blue reflection nebula NGC 7023 AKA Iris Nebula, careful processing reveals that this celestial flower is enveloped within a vast region of interstellar dust, altogether making for a spectacular image. Strictly speaking NGC 7023 refers to an open cluster within the reflection nebula, which is itself illuminated by a magnitude +7.4 star designated HD 200775 – the cropped starless image shows the beautiful detail that makes up the Iris ‘flower’.
| IMAGING DETAILS | |
| Object | NGC 7023 AKA Iris Nebula |
| Constellation | Cepheus |
| Distance | 1,400 light-years |
| Size | 6 light-years (Iris Nebula only) |
| Apparent Magnitude | +6.8 (Iris Nebula only) |
| Scope | Takahashi FSQ 106 FL 530mm f/5 + Moonlight Nightcrawler focuser |
| Mount | Paramount MyT |
| Guiding | Yes |
| Camera | QSI 683-WSG8 KAF-8300 full frame CCD sensor 5.4nm pixels |
| FOV 1.94o x 1.46o Resolution 2.1”/pix. Image array 3326 x 2,507 pix | |
| Processing | Deep Sky Stacker, PixInsight v1.8.9-1 |
| Image Location & Orientation | Centre – RA 21:02:16.34 DEC +67:45:54.8 |
| Exposures | L x15, R x20, G x14, B x15 x 900 secs @ -20C Total Integration Time: 16hr |
| Calibration | Darks, Bias & LRGB Flats |
| Location & Darkness | Deep Sky West – amateur hosting facility near Rowe, New Mexico – USA SQM Typically >= 21.7 |
| Date & Time | Q2 2018 |
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