This deep RGB image shows NGC 1435, the Merope Reflection Nebula, surrounding Merope in the Pleiades star cluster, M45. Long exposures reveal vast interstellar dust clouds illuminated by the blue-white light of the cluster’s young hot stars. Around Merope, the dust forms delicate filamentary structures resembling soft brushstrokes across the sky. Close to the star lies IC 349, Barnard’s Merope Nebula, visible as a compact knot of nebulosity immersed in Merope’s glare. The image was acquired from Lanciano, Italy, during November and December 2025, with approximately 26 hours of RGB integration, preserving the faint dusty filaments and the natural colors of the field.
Acquisition location: Lanciano, Italy
Telescope: Meade LX200 ACF 10 inch
Mount: 10Micron GM2000 HPS II
Camera: QHY268M
Filter wheel: QHYCFW3
Filters: Astrodon I Series RGB
Image scale: 0.26 arcsec/pixel
Processing: PixInsight