Date Captured: 10 - 16 January 2024
Location: Livingroom deck, Prospect Lake
Scope: Zenithstar 61
Flattener/Reducer: Flat61R
Filter: Optolong L'Enhance
Camera: ASI533MC
Exposure: 7h 6min (142x180s)
Processing: Pixinsight with RC Astro Suite
Comments: The framing and orientation of this image often dictates it's naming, with this specific variation reinforcing the Flaming Skull moniker (top left corner). This star forming region in Cepheus on the border of Cassiopeia contains multiple catalog entries. A newly formed star cluster, Berkeley 59, lights up the heart of Cederblad 214, which is the brightest part of diffuse nebula NGC 7822. The broader region is referred to as Sharpless 171 (also LBN 582), and contains multiple evaporating gas globules / cosmic pillars in its stellar nursery which contrasts with the absorption nebula (LDN 1270/1271) in the foreground. This particular field of view also contains LBN 587, which could possibly indicate further dispersion of gas and dust from the combination of radiation and solar winds generated from the star formation process of massive stars.