NGC 7822

Monday , 17, November 2014 Leave a comment
NGC 7822, SH2-171, Berkeley 59, LBN 584, LBN 588
NGC 7822 LSHO Version

For a full size image click here.

Distance: 3,300 Light Years
Magnitude: Unknown
Size: 180 Arc-minutes
Age: Approx. 2 million years
Telescope: Takahashi TOA-130
Camera: QSI 683
Mount: AP 1100
Exposures: L 18×600 Bin 1, SII 24×900, Ha 30×900, OIII 16×900

NGC 7822 is a large emission nebula in the constellation Cepheus. It covers about 3 degrees of sky but my image covers just the central part of the nebula. NGC 7822 also contains many different types of objects such as an open star cluster, dark dust lanes, elephant trunk structures, and Bok globules.

The open star cluster is named Berkeley 59 and contains several type O and B stars. These types of stars are very young, large, and hot. Forty two variable stars were also recently cataloged in Berkeley 59 and its surrounding area. Berkeley 59 is about 10 arc-minutes in size and the stars within are 1-5 million years old.

The dark lanes seen in my image are listed in Lynd’s Dark Nebula catalog as LDN 1267, LDN 1268, LDN 1269, LDN 1270, LDN 1271, and LDN 1275. LDN 1267 is about 9 arc-minutes in size. LDN 1268 is about 27 arc-minutes in size. LDN 1269 is about 10 arc-minutes in size. LDN 1270 is about 6 arc-minutes in size. LDN 1271 is about 6 arc-minutes in size. LDN 1275 is about 10 arc-minutes in size.

Elephant trunk structures are areas of colder gas and dust that are cylindrically shaped as a result of the large amounts of ultraviolet radiation emitted from the open star cluster. All of the elephant trunk structures in my image point to the central star cluster Berkeley 59. One elephant trunk structure known as the “Dancing Queen” is actually rotating upon its axes. The “Dancing Queen” trunk is the smaller object to the right of the bigger trunk just below and right of the image center. Elephant trunk structures are also known to be active star forming regions but it often takes IR imaging to see through the dense gas and dust. There are also smaller areas of dense gas and dust in NGC 7822 known as globules. These are smaller concentrations of dust and gas usually spherical or tear dropped in shape.

Below is a LRGB version on NGC 7822 captured from my home in a Bortle 6 zone:

Telescope: Takahashi TOA-130
Camera: QSI 683
Mount: AP 1100
Exposures: L 18×600 Bin 1, RGB 20×300 Bin 2

NGC 7822, SH2-171, Berkeley 59, LBN 584, LBN 588
NGC 7822 LRGB Version

For a full size image click here.

Telescope: Takahashi TOA-130
Camera: QSI 683
Mount: AP 1100
Exposures: L 18×600 Bin 1, RGB 20×300 Bin 2

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