Sh2-142, the Wizard Nebula
About image
The Sh2-142 nebula, popularly known as the Wizard Nebula, is an emission nebula located in the constellation Cepheus.
The nickname derives from its distinctive shape that remind the silhouette of a medieval wizard wearing a hood and cloak (though it takes a lot of imagination to see the wizard's shape!)
It is an H II region, a gigantic cloud of ionized hydrogen gas located between 7,200 and 11,500 light-years from Earth.
Nestled in the heart of the nebula is the young open cluster NGC 7380: it is precisely the strong ultraviolet radiation from its young stars that excites the nebula's gas, making it visible to our eyes.
Technical data
Optic Astrograph Newton Artec 200 E - Aperture 200mm, focal lenght 912mm, f/4.5
Mount Skywatcher EQ6R
Camera Touptek 571C Pro with external filter wheel 5 positions
Filters Antlia ALP-T 2'' Dualband 3nm Ha&OIII 50mm, Baader UV/IRCUT 50mm
Guiding system Artesky Ultraguide 60 MKII
Exposure details ALP-T 80x180" bin1 -10C gain 100
UV/IRCUT 40x30" bin1 -10C gain 100
Total integration 4h20'
Acquisition Voyager, PHD2
Processing Pixinsight 1.8, NoiseXTerminator, BlurXTerminator, StarXTerminator, Photopea, DXO Photolab 9
SQM-L 20.12
Location Promiod (Aosta Valley, Italy)
Date 3/4/5 July 2026
© Roberto Marinoni 2019 - All rights reserved