Type: Dark Nebula

Constellation: Cepheus

Distance from Earth: 1000 light-years

About:  LDN-1251 is a large and dusty star-forming molecular cloud complex, commonly called the Rotten Fish Nebula. LDN refers to Lynd’s Dark Nebulae, an astronomical catalog compiled by American astronomer Beverly Lynds in 1962. Dark nebulae listed in the LDN are rated based on their cloud opacity scale of 1 (lightest) to 6 (darkest). LDN-1251 is rated at a 5. 

Imaging Project Information:

Imaging Telescope: William Optics Fluorostar 91 APO refractor

Imaging Camera: ZWO ASI2600MM Pro

Mount: iOptron CEM60

Guiding: ZWO ASI224MC and ZWO 30mm guide scope

Filters and Frames: Optolong LRGB filters

Luminance: 170 frames @ 300s (5min) each  

Blue: 83 @ 180s (3min) each 

Green: 82 @ 180s (3min) each 

Red: 75 @ 180s (3min) each 

26 hours total integration

Accessories: Computer: Mele Quieter 3C, Power and Data Distribution: Pegasus Astro Pocket Powerbox Advanced V2 and USB Control Hub, Calibration: Primalucelab Giotto Flat Field Generator and Alto-1 Telescope Cover Motor

Software: Acquisition – Night Time Imaging and Acquisition (N.I.N.A) Preprocessing: Pixinsight Postprocessing: Pixinsight

Acquisition Period: Taken from my backyard observatory in Belvidere, IL , USA under Bortle 5 skies – (9/28, 9/29, 9/30, 10/2, 10/3, 10/4, 10/5, 10/6, 10/7, 10/8/2024)