The 2020 Soul Nebula image, saved as an older revision beside the newer IC 1848 frame.
This frame remains part of the Lost Photons archive.
- What am I looking at?
- The Soul Nebula is a large emission nebula paired with the Heart Nebula, filled with young stars and glowing hydrogen.
- How far away is it?
- About 7,500 light-years away.
- Where is it in the sky?
- In Cassiopeia, adjacent to the Heart Nebula.
- Why does it matter?
- Often photographed together with the Heart Nebula to show a wide star-forming region.
- When is the best time to photograph it?
- Autumn when Cassiopeia is overhead.
Capture summary
Nebula in Cassiopeia
8 Nov 2020 / Moon 51%
Ha, OIII, SII
Autumn target / wide composition
- L-eNhance 2h 45m 33 x 300s / 8 Nov 2020 / Moon 51%
- Totals 2h 45m 8 Nov 2020 / Moon 51%
Same target, different years.
Older revisions stay in the archive so you can see how the target changed with different equipment, processing, and experience.
When to image this target
Nebula in Cassiopeia; best planned for September through November from New Jersey.
Autumn is a strong window for Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, and late Cygnus fields.
Assumes a New Jersey backyard horizon and evening imaging.
Emission nebulae are good candidates for narrowband filters; reflection nebulae prefer darker skies.
IC 1848 is listed here in Cassiopeia.
Current frame: Narrowband / Ha, OIII, SII.
Live altitude, moon, and filter guidance
Calculating target altitude and moon context.
Use the full planner to enter a ZIP code, choose a date, and compare the target from your sky.
Based on the current time.
Green marks usable dark-sky altitude.
Next upper transit.
Approximate horizon crossing.
Moon phase and altitude.
Acquisition & processing notes
Filter channels, integration times, and capture dates for this frame. View on AstroBin.
- L-eNhance 33 x 300s, 2h 45m, 8 Nov 2020, Moon 51%
- Totals 2h 45m, 8 Nov 2020, Moon 51%
How I captured this
| Channel | Frames | Time | Moon |
|---|---|---|---|
| L-eNhance | 33 x 300s | 2h 45m | 51% |
| Totals | — | 2h 45m | 51% |
- Equipment used
- From my current rig
- Mount
- iOptron CEM60
- Telescope
- Explore Scientific FCD100 127mm Carbon Fiber Triplet APO
- Camera
- ZWO ASI2600MM Pro
- Filters
- Chroma 36mm Ha, OIII, SII, and LRGB (ZWO EFW 7×36mm)
- Focuser / rotator
- MoonLite NiteCrawler
- Reducer
- Starizona Apex ED 0.65×
- Guiding
- ZWO off-axis guider + ASI290MM Mini
- Control / power
- PrimaLuceLab Eagle 4S, Powerwerx PSU, Bioenno field battery, and MEGAbox
