NGC 7023
Iris Nebula in Cepheus

10.1″ f/4.5, Mallincam DS432cTEC with 0.5 focal reducer and Astronomik UHC filter
Exposure = 15 sec, Live Stacked frames = 30, Gain = 70 of 250

Also known as Caldwell 4, the Iris is a spectacular reflection nebula with a bright core and dimmer angular shapes surrounding the middle. The bottom (southern) portion of the bright core appears to be separate from the northern stellar part that contains a 7th magnitude star. The dimmer purple-blue-green surrounding nebula provides a fascinating reflection of light that gives the impression of rooms or hollow compartments, and provides a very 3D effect. Surrounding the entire nebula is another dark, unlit nebula that is obscuring stars in the background. In this view the Iris appears to be about 15 arcminutes in length when including the dimmer portions. It is listed as 6 light years across and is 1300 light years away.

North at 10 o’clock, East at 7 o’clock