Object: Sh2-129 or Sharpless 129 is a large emission nebula in the constellation of Cepheus and is estimated to be 1300 light-years from Earth. It is referred to as “The Flying Bat” nebula.
The large blue/green nebula inside it, which is over a degree long, is formally known as Ou4 but is colloquially called the “Squid” (or “Giant Squid”) Nebula. Ou4 is remarkable for having been discovered very recently, in 2011, by amateur astronomer Nicolas Outters (hence the “Ou” in “Ou4”). It was originally called a planetary nebula but is now thought to be some kind of bipolar outflow from the bright blue star at its center (HR 8119).
This nebula is very faint, and it takes long exposure times to capture it. In this image, Ou4 took 9 hours of exposure time. The complete image took 12.2 hours of exposure time, the longest duration I have done to date.
It is located on the southern edge of the constellation, northwest of the great nebulous complex of IC 1396 (which contains the Elephant Trunk nebula), although physically, it is at a great distance from it; the most suitable period for its observation in the evening sky falls between July and December and is considerably facilitated for observers located in the regions of the terrestrial northern hemisphere.
Taken: August 21 and 23, 2022
Telescope: Skywatcher Esprit 80 ED Triplet APO Refractor
Mount: Paramount ME II
Camera: ZWO ASI2600MM-Pro monochrome (cooled to 0C; Gain 100) Bin 1×1.
Guiding: No autoguiding
Focuser: Starizona Micro Touch Autofocuser
Rotator: Optec Pixys LE camera field rotator
p>Filters used: Chroma Ha, and OIII 3nm filters with a ZWO 7-position Electronic Filter Wheel (EFW)Exposures: 125×90 seconds Ha; 363×90 seconds OIII for a total exposure time of 12.2 hours; calibrated with 40 dark frames, 40 flat frames with 40 dark-flats. Processed in HOO palette.
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