Object: IC 59 (left) and IC 63 (right) are a combination of faint, arc-shaped emission and reflection nebulae located about 600 light-years away in the constellation Cassiopeia. Together they are approximately 10 light-years across.
The bluish glow shining down from the top comes from the intense radiation of the bright, hot star Gamma Cassiopeia which is located only 3 to 4 light-years from the nebulae and may also have shed this nebulous material into the space around it. The edges of the nebulae glow brightly from this intense radiation that is slowly evaporating and lighting up these flowing shapes of gas and dust.
IC 63 — the brighter of the two and slightly closer to Gamma Cassiopeia than IC 59 — is a combination of an emission and reflection nebula. Unlike a reflection nebula which appears blue, the glowing hydrogen gas appears red. IC 59 is primarily a reflection nebula, showing much less red hydrogen, and appears blue of dust reflected starlight that is passing through it.
Taken: October 3, 2022
Telescope: Astro-Tech 14” RC with Starizona Apex-ED L 0.65x focal reducer
Mount: Paramount ME II
Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC-Pro (cooled to 0C; Gain 100) Bin 1×1.
Guiding: No Guiding
Focuser: Moonlite Nitecrawler
Rotator: Moonlite Nitecrawler
Filters used: Optolong L-eXtreme
Exposures: 276×90 seconds for a total exposure time of 6.9 hours; calibrated with 40 dark frames, 40 flat frames with 40 dark-flats.
Seeing Conditions:
Image capture and telescope control: Nighttime Imaging ‘N’ Astronomy with (N.I.N.A.) / TheSkyX Pro with a SkyShed POD MAX observatory.
Processed with PixInsight, Photoshop CC 2022