250618 - Sh2-86 "Cloud Sculpting" Star Cluster
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ASTRO:
type=emission / reflection nebula const=Vulpecula mag=7.1 dist=6000 ly size=70 ly IMAGE: location=Emerald Bay community, Texas BrtlCls=4 moon=53% WnGb exposure=CMOS OSC: 49x300s (4.1h), G100 palette=HOO EQUIPMENT: camera=ZWO ASI2600MC-Pro optics=ES102 w 0.8x redcr/fltnr, F=571.2mm, f/5.6 filter=Optolong L eXtreme Dual NB, Ha + OIII, 7nm band width mount=Celestron AVX guiding=Orion 60x240mm, ZWO ASi224MC SOFTWARE: acquisition=Stellarium, NINA, PHD2 processing=PixInsight (RCAstro), Photoshop (Lumenzia), LrC |
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Star cluster NGC 6823 is slowly turning gas clouds into stars. The center of the open star cluster formed only about two million years ago (very recent by astronomical standards) and is dominated in brightness by a host of bright young blue stars. Some outer parts of the cluster, visible in the featured image's center as the stars and pillars of emission nebula NGC 6820, contain even younger stars. The huge pillars of gas and dust likely get their elongated shape by erosion from hot radiation emitted from the brightest stars in the cluster. Striking dark globules of gas and dust are also visible across the upper left of the central region of the nebula. Open star cluster NGC 6823 spans about 50 light years and lies about 6000 light years away toward the constellation of the Fox, Vulpecula.
The reflection nebula and cluster are embedded in a large faint emission nebula called Sh 2-86. ...M27, the Dumbbell Nebula, is found three degrees to the east, and star α (alpha) Vulpeculae, the brightest star in the host constellation, is appx 3° to the west.
Open star cluster NGC 6823 is about 50 light-years across and lies about 6,000 light-years away. The center of the cluster is thought to have formed about two million years ago and is dominated in brightness by a host of bright, young blue stars. Outer extents of the cluster contain even younger stars. It forms the core of the Vulpecula OB1 stellar association.
This image was derived by stacking together 49 subexposures of 300s duration each, resulting in total integrated exposure time of 4.1h. The sub-exposures were captured using a dual narrow-band filter paired together with a cooled, dedicated One-Shot-Color ("OSC") astronomical camera. During processing, the "HOO" (Hydrogen-Oxygen-Oxygen) palette was used, being an assignment of each element's visibility to the traditional Red, Green, and Blue photographic color channels. Amateur Astrophotographers often use this type of color assignment to enhance visual contrast, and add an artistic 'flair' to their photographs.
The reflection nebula and cluster are embedded in a large faint emission nebula called Sh 2-86. ...M27, the Dumbbell Nebula, is found three degrees to the east, and star α (alpha) Vulpeculae, the brightest star in the host constellation, is appx 3° to the west.
Open star cluster NGC 6823 is about 50 light-years across and lies about 6,000 light-years away. The center of the cluster is thought to have formed about two million years ago and is dominated in brightness by a host of bright, young blue stars. Outer extents of the cluster contain even younger stars. It forms the core of the Vulpecula OB1 stellar association.
This image was derived by stacking together 49 subexposures of 300s duration each, resulting in total integrated exposure time of 4.1h. The sub-exposures were captured using a dual narrow-band filter paired together with a cooled, dedicated One-Shot-Color ("OSC") astronomical camera. During processing, the "HOO" (Hydrogen-Oxygen-Oxygen) palette was used, being an assignment of each element's visibility to the traditional Red, Green, and Blue photographic color channels. Amateur Astrophotographers often use this type of color assignment to enhance visual contrast, and add an artistic 'flair' to their photographs.