Sh2-115 and Sh2-116 + Massimo Di Fusco + L-QEF (L-Quad Enhance Filter), L-Ultimate

Sh2-115 and Sh2-116 

Credit: Massimo Di Fusco

Filters: Optolong L-QEF (L-Quad Enhance Filter)

Optolong L-Ultimate

 

 

 

With much effort, on the very few good nights, I managed to finish another photo of a little-known area in the Swan constellation, namely the pair of emission nebulae Sh2-115 and Sh2-116.

Sh2-115 is an emission nebula 7500 light years away from us in the Orion's Arm region located just beyond the large black hole nebula system Cygnus X, from which it is about 1600 light years away. It is a very large HII region with an oval shape and crossed in a northwest-southeast direction by a dark band that apparently divides it into two equal parts: the eastern part is dominated by the presence of a small open cluster, known as Berkeley 90, with which it is physically associated, while the western part lies in the direction of the variable star α2 CVn HD 196178 (V2015 Cyg), with an apparent mean magnitude of 5.63.

Sh2-116 is a small emission nebula (top right in the picture) located on the northern edge of the much larger Sh2-115. This nebula has a circular shape, so much so that it is listed in the Sharpless catalogue as a possible planetary nebula. In fact, it was believed to be such even afterwards, to the point that it is listed in various catalogues of planetary nebulae. A 1991 study, however, clarified that it is in fact an HII region but, despite this study, its distance remains unknown to this day.

 

 

 

 

 

Konus 200/1000 @950mm, f/4.8
Player One Poseidon-C camera @-5 °C
Sky-Watcher Eq6r Pro mount
Optolong L_Ultimate filter 180x300"
Optolong L-QEF filter 40x180"
N.I.N.A., APP, PixInsight, PS
Ferrara (Italy)