Sunday, September 29,2024

The Iris Nebula (evening)

The Iris Nebula or NGC 7023 in Cepheus is a large reflection nebula that is suitable for both visual observing and deep sky imaging. It's located 3.3 degrees southwest of Alfirk, the bright star that marks the northwest corner
of Cepheus' square. The object is circumpolar at mid-Northern latitudes, but
it is highest in the sky after dusk on autumn evenings. Start with your
lowest power eyepiece (say 35x) and work up. In a modest-aperture telescope, expect to see a small, bright glow around a magnitude 7.3 star. A larger telescope will grow the nebula into a rectangular shape spanning 2.5 x 5 arc-minutes, and aligned east-west. Stars in the interior belong to a small open cluster designated Collinder 427. Narrowband filters will not enhance reflection nebulae very much.

(Data Courtesy of Starry Night)
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