More than astrophotography, an astronomical exploration.
Golden dust of LDN 1251
David Cruz · Astromidnight
In Cepheus, the dark cloud LDN 1251 stretches out like a comet of golden dust. Hidden stars are born in its dense head, and distant galaxies peer through the dust.
| Catalogue | Lynds Dark Nebulae, 1962 |
| Type | Dark nebula |
| Distance | ≈ 1,100 light-years |
| Field | 82.1′ × 56.4′ |
| Scale | 0.81″ / pixel |
| Orientation | −3° · north up |
| RA (centre) | 22h 32m 14s |
| DEC (centre) | +75° 11′ 40″ |
| Constellation | Cepheus |
| Objects in field | LDN 1251 · 3 young stars · 2 galaxies · 1 blazar |
Distance of LDN 1251 from star counts (Balázs et al. 2004, 330 ± 30 parsecs), confirmed by Gaia for the young stars of Cepheus (330 to 368 parsecs). Star distances from Gaia parallax (SIMBAD). Galaxy distances calculated from redshift (NED), with H0 = 70 km/s/Mpc; the blazar's distance is not published. The length of LDN 1251A in light-years was calculated by us from the angular size and the cloud's distance. No real width: the field mixes the cloud with far more distant galaxies. The small galaxy right of centre, below LEDA 166755, is not catalogued in SIMBAD or NED. Position of LDN 1251 taken from the AstroBin label (approximate); the others from SIMBAD or NED.
20 h 00 min of light
Each tick is a 240-second exposure. 300 in total, with the camera at −10 °C and gain 100. Calibrated with 50 darks, 50 flats and 50 bias. The Moon stayed below 50 % illumination throughout.
Carbon Newton 10' f/4
ZWO ASI2600MC Pro
Sky-Watcher CQ350 Pro
Askar M54 OAG · ZWO ASI120MM Mini
TS-Optics Maxfield .95X Coma Corrector
Adobe Photoshop · Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight · Stefan Berg Nighttime Imaging 'N' Astronomy (N.I.N.A. / NINA)
São Pedro da Gafanhoeira, Évora · 358 m
Bortle 3