The Iris Nebula (NGC 7023) glows softly amid a delicate tapestry of interstellar dust in the constellation Cepheus. Its central star illuminates the surrounding filaments of gas and dust, producing the characteristic bluish reflection nebula, while fainter tendrils of the surrounding clouds hint at the subtle complexity of this star-forming region. This field also captures the neighboring faint nebulae, revealing the intricate structures of the local interstellar medium.

This image was composed from 380 exposures of 300 seconds in Luminance with drizzle applied twice, along with 90 exposures of 300 seconds each in RGB, also drizzled twice. Calibration frames included 20 flats of 5 seconds at -10°C, 30 dark flats of 5 seconds at -10°C, and 30 dark frames of 300 seconds at -10°C, ensuring precise background and color fidelity.