NGC 7822 and Ced 214

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NGC 7822 and Cederblad 214, in HaRGB.

Location: Okie-Tex Star Party 2006, near Kenton, Oklahoma and Eldorado Star Party 2006 near Eldorado, Texas

Date: September-October, 2006

Seeing: 3/10 on average

Transparency: 8/10 on average

Temperature: -25 degrees C on camera

Scope/Mount: Tak FSQ-106 and Paramount ME

Camera: SBIG STL-11000M astro CCD camera

Filter: 4.5nm Custom Scientific H-alpha filter

Exposure Info: HaRGB image; 160:60:60:60 minutes (20 minute subexposures for Ha and 10 minute subexposures for RGB, all unbinned)

Processing Information: Acquisition with CCDSoft. Calibration (darks/flats), registration, and RGB channel combine in CCDstack (median combine). HaRGB combine and Ha blending, color balance, levels/curves, noise removal/local contrast enhancement/DSO enhancement-star reduction (Noel Carboni's Astronomy Tools) in Photoshop CS.

Exposure Notes: Interesting target. Sub-par seeing conditions. RGB data taken from Okie-Tex as well as 40 minutes of Ha data. The rest taken at Eldorado Star Party. Incidentally, my friend Rockett Crawford calls Ced 214, "the nose." Indeed, looks quite like Karl Malden to me!

About this Object

You have to love the power of CCD cameras!

This photograph shows two distinctly different nebulae, NGC 7822 on the bottom and Cederblad 214 on the top. But through the "magic" of CCD technology, amateur imagers can now go so "deep" that it becomes difficult to know where one nebula starts and the other one leaves off! And because of that, there is often some confusion when it comes to identifying these two targets.

This nebular region can be found right at the Cepheus/Cassiopeia border. The easiest way to locate it would be to extend a line up from the center star (gamma cass) in the "W" shape of Cassiopeia until you hit the Cepheus border.

Though these nebulae are, in no way, small, they are difficult targets to detect visually. Apertures around 20 inches and dark skies are required, though many viewers report that an h-beta filter can make these much easier targets with much smaller, rich-field instruments. Approach this field like you would NGC 1499, the California Nebula, and it's likely you'll have success.

🤖 AI-drafted · unverified

What it is: NGC 7822 and the associated Cederblad 214 form a large, faint emission nebula and young star-forming region, home to some of the hottest, most massive stars known nearby — a favorite target for narrowband astrophotography.
Constellation: Cepheus
Distance: ~3,000 light-years
Apparent magnitude: ~7 (faint, extended)
Angular size: ~60 arcminutes
Coordinates: RA 00h 03m, Dec +67° 09′

This summary was generated by an AI assistant from general astronomical references, not from Jay's own notes on this specific image. Treat every detail above as a starting point for research, not settled fact.