M52 and NGC 7635
Salt-and-Pepper Cluster and the Bubble Nebula in Cassiopeia

10.1″ f/4.5, Mallincam DS432cTEC with 0.5 focal reducer and Astronomik UHC filter
Exposure = 10-18-25 sec, Live Stacked frames = 20-20-60 (100 total), Gain = 50 of 250

NGC 7635, or the Bubble Nebula (right), also known as Caldwell 11, is a beautiful H II emission nebula that appears near to the open cluster M52, making a fantastic pairing. In reality, the two share a chance alignment as M52 is 4600 light years away while the Bubble Nebula is twice as far. Bubble is an appropriate name, as the core nebula has a distinct circular shape that looks very much like a soap bubble. The Salt-and-Pepper Cluster is also appropriate as M52 has a fairly even, compressed (for an open cluster) distribution of similarly bright stars. Both the Bubble and M52 appear to be about 15 arcminutes in length, separated by about 1/2 a degree.

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