It is in the direction of the constellation of Cassiopée that the sumptuous nebula IC 1871 is located. She almost occupies the center of the soul nebula (IC 1848), which makes it an integral part.
Located in the Spiral Arm of Perseus of the Milky Way at around 6,500 light years from Earth, It is integrated into a giant molecular complex, often called W3/W4/W5 complex, which houses several regions of massive stars formation.
IC 1871 is a emission nebula, which means that it shines thanks to the ionization of its gas by young and hot stars located nearby.
It is distinguished by dark clouds of dust, whose contours are marked by brilliant broadcast lines.
On our field, we can see several cosmic structures. The latter are shaped by stellar winds and the intense influence of young massive stars that populate this region. Another very impressive structure, of Herbig-Haro type, adds an additional touch to the show. In addition to this superb stellar spectacle, some bok globule are also present. These are dark and dense little clouds of gas and dust, often observed in stars formation regions. They have filaments of gas and dust, as well as dark areas where dust density is high enough to block the light of the background stars.
In collaboration with my friend Yann Sainty, renowned French astrophotographer, we used the SHO technique, also known as the Hubble palette, in order to capture an astrophotography of an extremely detailed definition. This method uses the specific properties of the various filters used to reveal precise details of the nebula.
Thanks to this cooperation, we have produced an astronomical image of exceptional quality, highlighting the unexpected and spectacular characteristics of this majestic nebula.
Technical details:
Planewave CDK 20 ’’ (508mm) at f/D 6.8
Planewave L500 mount
Zwo as 6200 mm pro camera
Filters Antlia Hα, OIII and SII 3nm
Sampling : 0,45 Arcsec
Hα 184 x 180s : 9 h 12 min
OIII 206 x 180s : 10 h 18 min
SII 208 x 180s : 10 h 24 min
Total integration : 29 h 54 min
DOF: 31/101/23
Date: February 2025
Place: ASO observatory, Oukaimeden observatory, Morocco.