Lurking some 1,200 light-years away at the edge of the Cepheus Flare molecular cloud complex is a ghostly nebula and somewhat isolated Bok globule known as vdB 141 (van den Bergh 141) or Sh2-136 (Sharpless 136). The ghostly shapes of this nebula are cosmic dust clouds that are faintly illuminated in the dimly reflected starlight. This nebula is over two light-years across and at the core of the dark cloud at the top of the nebula in this image, is likely a binary star system in its early stages of formation. (adapted from NASA's APOD)
Telescope: Sky Watcher Quantum 120 Apo @ f/7
Accessories: SW Quantum matched flattener; Dew control by Dew Buster; Alnitak Flat-Man
Mount: Takahashi EM-200 Temma2
Camera: QSI583wsg CCD @ -10.0C
Guiding: Starlight Xpress Lodestar via PHD
Filters: Astrodon E-Series Gen II LRGB filters
Exposure: 28 x 15min. binned 1x1 Luminance; 6 x 10min. binned 2x2 in each R, G, & B
Acquisition: ImagesPlus 5.0 Camera Control
Processing: PixInsight 1.8; Adobe PhotoShop CS5; Noel Carboni’s Actions
Date(s): Oct. 1 & 2, 2013
SQM reading (begin - end): N1:20.97 – 21.04; N2:20.77 – 20.94
Temperature (begin - end): N1:67.0ºF – 68.0ºF; N2:73.0ºF – 72.0ºF
Capture conditions: N1 - transparency: Above Avg 4/5; seeing: Excellent 5/5; Very windy; N2 - transparency: Above Avg 4/5; seeing: Excellent 5/5; Very windy
Location: Camp Hatteras RV Resort, Rodanthe, NC, USA