2020-08-07 / Click on image to enlarge
galacticsights
astrophotography
VdB 152
Technical Details
| Location | Zollikerberg, Switzerland |
| Camera | Nikon DSLR D810A |
| Telescope | TS ONTC 12" f/4 Carbon Newton |
| Optics | TS 2,5" Wynne Coma Corrector |
| Focal Length | 1140mm |
| Mount | iOptron CEM120 Center-Balanced Equatorial Mount |
| Autoguiding | PHD2 (Dithering) |
| Focuser | Moonlite |
| Planetarium Software | Stellarium | Image Session Control | APT - Astro Photography Tool v3.81, ASCOM Platform 6 |
| Lights | 66 x 120s (total 2h12'), ISO-1600, additional Biases, Flats, no Darks |
| Stacking Software | Pixinsight 1.8, Drizzle 2x |
| Image Processing | Pixinsight 1.8 |
Van den Bergh 152 (vdB 152), also known as Wolf's Cave or Ced 201, is the blue reflection nebula located in the center of the image. The large dark nebula stretching to the bottom of the image is Barnard 175. This dark cloud of gas is so thick, that it obscures almost all the stars behind it and only some part of the nebula is shining in blue color as a reflection from the bright star in the area. This cosmic phantom is really very faint and lies nearly 1,400 light-years away along the northern Milky Way in the constellation Cepheus.