LDN 1622 (2026)

So this is my first image of Lynds' Dark Nebula (LDN) 1622 which is a dark molecular cloud located 500 light-years away. It is approximately 10 light-years in diameter and is sometimes referred to as the Boogeyman Nebula because of its resemblance to the mythical creature. It also happens to lie in front of the glowing hydrogen gas of Barnard's Loop in the constellation of Orion. While LDN 1622 is very dark, a contrasting bright reflection nebula, vdB 62, lies to the right of the Boogeyman's head.

There are a couple ways to image this either focusing on the natural colors of this region or blending in the faint red glow from the hydrogen gas collected with a narrowband filter. I did the hydrogen blend method because I not only like the look but also narrowband filters handle light-polluted skies much better. I really like how the dark Boogeyman pops out against the deep red glow of the background hydrogen.

This is most likely my last Nebula Image taken from the Happy Frog Observatory. I would have liked more data but the weather has been unusually cold and snowy. However, I am doing one more image but it was a last minute decision and it's a galaxy. As luck would have it, the camera (ASI 1600) developed a splotch on the sensor for the first time and needed to be cleaned.

Higher Quality:
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LDN 1622 (2026)
Dates: 2-8-26, 2-14, 2-17, 3-4, 3-9, 3-10

Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM-Pro
Telescope: Astro-Tech AT115EDT 115mm Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 805mm (644mm w/ FR)
f/7 (f/5.6)
Focal Reducer: 0.8x AstroTech Field Flatterner/Focal Reducer
Mount: Orion Sirius
Filter Wheel: ZWO
EFW 8 x 1.25"
Filter: Antlia Ha, ZWO R, G, B
Focuser: ZWO EAF
Autoguiding: ASI120 Mini attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope/ZWO 60mm Guidescope
Exposure: Ha 87 x 300, R 36 x 90, G 45 x 90, B 44 x 90 (10h 22m)
Gain: 139
Offset 20
Sensor Temp: -20 C
Processing: NINA, PixInsight, Photoshop, BlurXTerminator, StarXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, GraXpert, Bill Blanshan Color Masks, Bill Blanshan Stretching, Topaz Denoise.

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Sh2-204 (2026)

So this is my version of the emission nebula Sh2-204 located approximately 12,000 light-years away in the constellation of Camelopardalis. It is very large with sizes reported between 250 to 400 light-years across. The predominant gas is hydrogen with a lesser amount of sulfur and an even smaller amount of oxygen - my collection supports this as there did not seem to be any oxygen in any of the subexposures. The region also contains a lot of dust which with a larger field of view makes a nice frame. Unfortunately, my setup was not large enough to get the best parts of the dusty structures.

This is a very faint object and was a challenge (pain in the neck) to process. If you try this lots of data will be required and dark skies will help greatly especially for the dust. My Bortle 5 to 7 sky was a real challenge. I was not having any success bringing out the blue OIII until I used a PixInsight NB combination with RGB script and then it was more processing gymnastics. If I had to do this again from this location I would have done an HaRGB and skipped the SII and OIII.

Higher Quality:
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Sh2-204 (2026)
Dates: 12-11-25, 12-14, 12-16, 12-17, 12-21, 1-7, 1-8, 1-12, 1-15, 1-19, 1-20, 1-22, 1-23, 2-2, 2-4, 2-5
Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM-Pro
Telescope: Astro-Tech AT115EDT 115mm Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 805mm (644mm w/ FR)
f/7 (f/5.6)
Focal Reducer: 0.8x AstroTech Field Flatterner/Focal Reducer
Mount: Orion Sirius
Filter Wheel: ZWO
EFW 8 x 1.25"
Filter: Antlia Ha, OIII, SII, ZWO L, R, G, B
Focuser: ZWO EAF
Autoguiding: ASI120 Mini attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope/ZWO 60mm Guidescope
Exposure: Ha 249 x 300, OIII 192 x 300, SII 143 x 300, L 220 x 90, R 95 x 90, G 81 x 90, B 93 x 90  (60h 53m)

Gain: 139
Offset 20
Sensor Temp: -20 C
Processing: NINA, PixInsight, Photoshop, BlurXTerminator, StarXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, GraXpert, Bill Blanshan Color Masks, Bill Blanshan Stretching, Topaz Denoise.

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IC 1848 & Others (2025)

This is my latest version of the very large emission nebula located approximately 6500 light-years away in the constellation of Cassiopeia. The designation of IC 1848 actually refers to the open star cluster in the blue portion of the image. The stellar winds of stars in the open cluster(s) are responsible for scalping out openings within the gas and dust. This process leaves behind the sharp edges and dense pillars of star forming regions that point inwards towards the star cluster(s). For some reason the entire nebular complex is nicknamed the Soul Nebula, however, my image only shows one side and consists of LBN 670, LBN 667, LBN 672, and LBN 673.

My favorites are LBN 670 in the upper right and LBN 673 in the bottom center. Each of these regions are about ten light-years long and show sharp details. Also, I did use the relatively new Multiscale Adaptive Stretch (MAS) in PixInsight and worked really well. It is pretty simple and you can adjust elements using easy to use sliders - might want to check it out. Lastly, this also happens to be the last image where all the data I collected was from 2025.

Higher Quality:

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IC 1848 & Others (2025)
Dates: 11-13-25, 11-19, 11-20, 11-22, 11-23, 11-24, 11-27, 11-28, 12-6, 12-12
Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM-Pro
Telescope: Astro-Tech AT115EDT 115mm Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 805mm (644mm w/ FR)
f/7 (f/5.6)
Focal Reducer: 0.8x AstroTech Field Flatterner/Focal Reducer
Mount: Orion Sirius
Filter Wheel: ZWO
EFW 8 x 1.25"
Filter: Antlia Ha, OIII, SII
Focuser: ZWO EAF
Autoguiding: ASI120 Mini attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope/ZWO 60mm Guidescope
Exposure: Ha 192 x 300, OIII 174 x 300, SII 186 x 300 (46h 00m)
Gain: 139
Offset 20
Sensor Temp: -10 C
Processing: NINA, PixInsight, Photoshop, BlurXTerminator, StarXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, GraXpert, Bill Blanshan Color Masks, Bill Blanshan Stretching, Topaz Denoise.

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Sh2-142 - Wizard Nebula (2025)

This is my latest image of the colorful emission nebula Sh2-142, nicknamed the Wizard Nebula, located 8,500 light-years away in the constellation of Cepheus. The region also contains dark dust clouds, a Planetary Nebula (PK107-00.1), and a young open cluster (4 to 12 million years) designated as NGC 7380 which was discovered by Caroline Herschel in 1787. It is the hot young stars in NGC 7380 that are responsible for ionizing the surrounding gases in the nebula. Chief among the ionizing stars are DH Cephei (HD 215835), a close binary system consisting of two massive blue giants (O-type stars). The bright blue star located in the center of the image is DH Cephei.

This is a very popular object for astrophotographers, however, for some reason I have only imaged this once before and that was over seven years ago so it was time for an update. The nebulosity in this region is quite impressive and I love how the stellar winds sculpt the gas and dust giving a 3D look.

Higher Quality:
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Sh2-142 - Wizard Nebula (2025)
Dates: 10-16-25, 10-17, 10-18, 10-22, 10-23, 10-24
Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM-Pro
Telescope: Astro-Tech AT115EDT 115mm Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 805mm (644mm w/ FR)
f/7 (f/5.6)
Focal Reducer: 0.8x AstroTech Field Flatterner/Focal Reducer
Mount: Orion Sirius
Filter Wheel: ZWO
EFW 8 x 1.25"
Filter: Antlia Ha, OIII, SII; ZWO R, G, B
Focuser: ZWO EAF
Autoguiding: ASI120 Mini attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope/ZWO 60mm Guidescope
Exposure: Ha 149 x 300, OIII 139 x 300, SII 148 x 300 R 53 x 90, G 55 x 90, B 52 x 90 (40h 20m)
Gain: 139
Offset 20
Sensor Temp: -10 C
Processing: NINA, PixInsight, Photoshop, BlurXTerminator, StarXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, GraXpert, Bill Blanshan Star Reduction, Bill Blanshan Color Masks, Bill Blanshan Stretching, Topaz Denoise.

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NGC 7789 - Caroline's Rose (2025)

This is NGC 7789, one of the richest open star clusters in the Milky Way and goes by Caroline’s Rose cluster named after its discoverer, Caroline Herschel in 1783 (sister of William Herschel). Under dark skies the loops of stars and dark lanes resemble the swirling pattern when looking down on rose petals. It also goes by Caroline’s Haystack and the White Rose Cluster.

The plus 1000 star cluster is located in the constellation of Cassiopeia approximately 6200 light-years away with an estimated diameter of 50 light-years. Interestingly, most open star clusters are relatively young (less than 100 million years), however, NGC 7789 is about 1.5 billion years old making it one of the oldest open clusters but not quite as old as most globular clusters which can be several billion years old.

The overall field is quite impressive, filled with many colorful stars. The cluster is very close to popular nebulae such as NGC 7635, the Bubble Nebula, and there is some very faint hydrogen in this region but I really wanted to focus in on the starfield. I love colorful stars and this field has a good dynamic range.

Higher Quality:
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NGC 7789 - Caroline's Rose (2025)
Dates: 10-27-25, 10-29
Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM-Pro
Telescope: Astro-Tech AT115EDT 115mm Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 805mm (644mm w/ FR)
f/7 (f/5.6)
Focal Reducer: 0.8x AstroTech Field Flatterner/Focal Reducer
Mount: Orion Sirius
Filter Wheel: ZWO
EFW 8 x 1.25"
Filter: ZWO R, G, B, L
Focuser: ZWO EAF
Autoguiding: ASI120 Mini attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope/ZWO 60mm Guidescope
Exposure: L 100 x 90, R 88 x 90, G 82 x 90, B 84 x 90 (8h 51m)
Gain: 139
Offset 20
Sensor Temp: -10 C
Processing: NINA, PixInsight, Photoshop, BlurXTerminator, StarXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, GraXpert, Bill Blanshan Color Masks, Bill Blanshan Stretching.

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LBN400 - A Portion of Sh2-119

This is my version of Lynds Bright Nebula 400 located 2,200 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Cygnus. LBN 400 is a mere portion of the large emission nebula Sh2-119, often called the Clamshell Nebula due to its resemblance to an open shell. Other Lynds Catalogue of Bright Nebula and Dark Nebula objects are visible in this image. Both Lynds Catalogues were compiled by Astrophysicist Beverly Lynds in the 1960s. I especially like the dark nebulae located on the top right of the image.

After examining the narrowband data, I found there was a ton of detail in the Ha and SII channels but OIII was very limited. I experimented with even combinations which produced less detailed and not so natural looking images, therefore, I did a typical S-curve stretch on the OIII where I reduced the faint background highlighting the areas that did show some detail and then did a normal SHO blend. The overall blend was more natural looking so I went with it as it also preserved the flowing detail.

Higher Quality:
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LBN400 - A Portion of Sh2-119  
Dates: 9-14-25, 9-21, 9-22, 9-28, 10-1, 10-3, 10-8, 10-9
Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM-Pro
Telescope: Astro-Tech AT115EDT 115mm Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 805mm (644mm w/ FR)
f/7 (f/5.6)
Focal Reducer: 0.8x AstroTech Field Flatterner/Focal Reducer
Mount: Orion Sirius
Filter Wheel: ZWO
EFW 8 x 1.25"
Filter: Antlia Ha, OIII, SII; ZWO R, G, B
Focuser: ZWO EAF
Autoguiding: ASI120 Mini attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope/ZWO 60mm Guidescope
Exposure: Ha 53 x 300, OIII 50 x 300, SII 58 x 300 R 47 x 90, G 47 x 90, B 45 x 90 (16h 54m)
Gain: 139
Offset 20
Sensor Temp: 0 C
Processing: NINA, PixInsight, Photoshop, BlurXTerminator, StarXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, GraXpert, Bill Blanshan Star Reduction, Bill Blanshan Color Masks, Bill Blanshan Stretching, Topaz Denoise.

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Sh2-157 (2025)

This is my latest image of the bright emission nebula, Sh2-157. It is located 8000 light-years away in the constellation Cassiopeia and very large at over 200 light-years across. Many nebulae have idiodic nicknames and I avoid using them but this one does bear some resemblance to a Lobster Claw which is what it is also known as. Several smaller portions on this large complex have their own designation. The small, bright, dense portion in the center is known as Sh2-157a. Other nebular regions within this cloud are LBN 533, LBN 536, LBN 537, LBN 540, and LBN 544. The open cluster NGC 7510 is located on the upper left side of my image while another open cluster, Markarian 50, is found in the lower left portion of the image just above a blue oxygen rich strand. I did do some star reduction on this object but not too much as I like rich colorful starfields. 

Higher Quality:
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Sh2-157 (2025)
Dates: 8-21-25, 8-22, 8-23, 8-25, 8-27, 9-3
Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM-Pro
Telescope: Astro-Tech AT115EDT 115mm Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 805mm (644mm w/ FR)
f/7 (f/5.6)
Focal Reducer: 0.8x AstroTech Field Flatterner/Focal Reducer
Mount: Orion Sirius
Filter Wheel: ZWO
EFW 8 x 1.25"
Filter: Antlia Ha, OIII, SII; ZWO R, G, B
Focuser: ZWO EAF
Autoguiding: ASI120 Mini attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope/ZWO 60mm Guidescope
Exposure: Ha 114 x 300, OIII 112 x 300, SII 114 x 300 R 45 x 90, G 52 x 90, B 51 x 90 (32h 02m)
Gain: 139
Offset 20
Sensor Temp: 0 C
Processing: NINA, PixInsight, Photoshop, BlurXTerminator, StarXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, GraXpert, Bill Blanshan Star Reduction, Bill Blanshan Color Masks, Bill Blanshan Stretching, Topaz Denoise.

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http://youtube.com/AstroQuest1