NGC6914 Area in Cygnus
Planewave CDK12.5; AP 1100GTO AE;
QHY600M, - Baader CMos Opt LRGB and 6.5nm Ha Filters
R,G,B : (38,35,30 x 180s Bin 1, Gain 26); L: (66x120s Bin1 Gain26); H☹37x720s Bin1 Gain26)
Total integration time = 14.8 hrs (July 9 to 12) Maple Bay, BC
This is my second Ha backlit dark nebula of the season. As with Barnard 169/174, also in Cygnus, this dark nebula (NGC6914, also in Cygnus) is backlit (on the far side) by Ha emissions and we have a view of the darks shadows cast by condensed material within the molecular cloud(s). In this image there appears to be layers of material providing varying shadow darkness of the Ha light and starlight from beyond.
The view of the dark nebulosity is enhanced by reflections from star on this side of the dark nebula. These stars, in addition to shining reflecting light off the dark nebula, tend to shine the brightest of the stars as uninhibited by the dark condensed material. In order to provide high reflections, the stars must be close to, or even within the otherwise dark material. The reflection colour tends to be that of the star light with the three “main” reflections being blue, indicative of blue, young, hot stars. The fourth brightest, to the right of the three blue reflections, is yellow/pink. This reflection is being created by an even younger, newborn star that may not have even begun nuclear fusion yet, as it emerges from the dark nebula where it was concieved. As this star starts/continues to burn, it will push away the dark cloud, and join the rest of the star cluster also created by, and now reflecting off the cloud.
In the centre of the image, even the reflections are partially blocked divulging the “layered” nature of the dark nebula. In other spots, the Ha shines through.