Wizard Nebula (NGC 7380)
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The Wizard Nebula, also known as NGC 7380, is an emission nebula located in the constellation Cepheus. It gets its name from its distinctive shape, which, when viewed through a telescope or in long-exposure photographs, resembles the figure of a wizard with a pointed hat and a flowing robe. The nebula is about 8,000 light-years away from Earth and spans approximately 100 light-years across.
The Wizard Nebula is an H II region, meaning it is a cloud of gas and dust that is primarily made up of hydrogen. It is also an area of active star formation. The nebula is energized by the intense ultraviolet radiation emitted by young, hot stars located within or near its boundaries. These stars ionize the surrounding hydrogen gas, causing it to glow in vivid red hues, characteristic of emission nebulae. The nebula itself has a highly irregular shape with regions of dense gas and dust, often creating beautiful and intricate structures like filaments and knots.
NGC 7380 is a star-forming region where new stars are born. The nebula contains a young cluster of stars known as the NGC 7380 star cluster. These stars are responsible for ionizing the surrounding gas, and over time, the intense stellar winds and radiation from these stars will help disperse the gas, making it harder for new stars to form.
The nebula is not visible to the naked eye, but it can be observed through small telescopes or binoculars as a faint glow. Its distinct shape becomes more apparent in longer exposures taken with more advanced telescopes or through astrophotography.
The Wizard Nebula is best observed with instruments that can capture faint emission lines in the red part of the spectrum, typically associated with hydrogen, as this is the most prominent feature of the nebula’s emission.
Due to its appearance, the Wizard Nebula has been a source of inspiration in popular science and astronomy, often being featured in educational materials, documentaries, and space-related media.
| Object | Wizard Nebula (NGC 7380) |
| Link | https://www.shetzers.com/wizard-nebula-ngc-7380/ |
| Wiki Link | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_7380 |
| Hemisphere | Northern |
| Constellation | Circumpolar |
| Other Names contained in image | NGC 7380, S 142 |
| Imaging telescopes or lenses | Takahashi TOA-130NFB |
| Imaging cameras | QHY268M |
| Mounts | Software Bisque Paramount MYT |
| Focal reducers | None |
| Software | Software Bisque The Sky X, N.I.N.A., PHD Lab PHD2, Viking, PixInsight, Photoshop, Lightroom |
| Filters | Astrodon LRGB Gen2 E-Series Tru-Balance 36mm unmounted. Chroma Technology Narrowband 3nm Ha, SII, OIII – 36mm Unmounted |
| Accessories | Moonlite NightCrawler 35 focuser, Maxdome II, Digital Loggers Pro Switch, Sky Alert Weather Station, Pegagsus Ultimate Powerbox v2, QHY 7-slot filter wheel. |
| Guiding Telescope or Lenses | Orion 60mm Guide Scope |
| Guiding Camera | ZWO ASI290MM Mini |
| Imaging Dates | 7/7/23, 7/9/23, 10/21/23, 10/25/23, 10/30/23, 10/31/23, 11/26/23, 11/28/23, 12/5/23, 12/6/23, 12/15/23, 12/16/23 |
| Frames | Ha:43×600″ (7.2h) Gain 56, High Gain Mode, Temp -25C, Bin 1×1 Ha: 60×300″ (5h) Gain 56, High Gain Mode, Temp -25C, Bin 1×1 OII: 29×600″ (4.8h) Gain 56, High Gain Mode, Temp -25C, Bin 1×1 SIII: 27×600″ (4.5h) Gain 56, High Gain Mode, Temp -25C, Bin 1×1 Red: 7×180″ (0.4h) Gain 26, High Gain Mode, Temp -25C, Bin 1×1 Green: 6×180″ (0.3h) Gain 26, High Gain Mode, Temp -25C, Bin 1×1 Blue :7×180″ (0.4h) Gain 26, High Gain Mode, Temp -25C, Bin 1×1 |
| Integration | 22.6h |
| Darks | 50 |
| Flats | 20 per Filter |
| Flat Darks | 40 |
| Bortle Dark-Sky Scale: | 2 |
| RA center | 341.85899 |
| DEC center | 58.12116 |
| Pixel scale | 3.76 |
| Resolution | 6280 x 4210 |
| Locations | Sirus 3.5m Observatory, Carbondale Colorado |
| Data source | Backyard |
| Seeing | Average |
| Post Processing Techniques | PixInsight to Photoshop to Lightroom |
| Type | SHO with RGB Stars |