LDN 1357 Helping Hand nebula

Image Title: LDN 1357 Helping Hand nebula

Copyright: Copyright: Jeff Marcks

Date image was taken: February 07, 2025

Location: Starfront Observatories, Texas

Data Acquisition Method: Remote Observatory (Commercial)

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Image Description and Details: Drifting near the plane of our Milky Way galaxy these dusty molecular clouds seem to extend a helping hand on a cosmic scale. Part of a local complex of star-forming interstellar clouds they include LDN 1358, 1357, and 1355 from American astronomer Beverly Lynds' 1962 Catalog of Dark Nebulae. Presenting a challenging target for astro-imagers, the obscuring dark nebulae are nearly 3,000 light-years away, toward rich starfields in the northern constellation Cassiopeia. At that distance, this deep, telescopic field of view would span about 80 light-years.

Equipment Details: RASA 8", asi2600MC Pro cooled to -5C. EQ6-R mount. Antlia V-Pro UVIR filter. 19 hours total integration time.

Name: Jeff Marcks