The Anima Nebula (also catalogued as IC 1848 + Raffaele Calcagno + L-Para, SII 3nm

The Anima Nebula (also catalogued as IC 1848

Credit: Raffaele Calcagno

Filters: Optolong L-Para, Opotolong SII 3nm

 

 

 

The Anima Nebula (also catalogued as IC 1848) is a vast star-forming region located in the constellation Cassiopeia, about 7,500 light years from Earth. The portion I photographed is the most active and luminous part of the nebula, known as the “head”, where two main structures are concentrated: Sh2-199 (bottom left), rich in hydrogen emissions, and Sh2-201 (top right, not far from the “head”), a small but dense HII region.
This area is famous for its intense star formation activity and the complexity of its internal structures, sculpted by the action of stellar radiation and the winds of young stars. The shape, which inspired the name “Soul”, is a pareidolia generated by the combination of gas and dust arranged in such a way as to vaguely resemble a face or a stylised figure.
In my shot, I wanted to apply the SHO (Hubble Palette) process, using narrow-band filters including the Optolong L-PARA and the 3nm SII to isolate the different gases.

 

 

 

 

 

Shot data:
Telescope/Mount: Skywatcher 150/750 Heq5 pro
Camera: 294 MC PRO 
Integration & filters: 
197 exposures of 300" Optolong-SII 3nm 
239 exposures of 300" Optolong L-Para 
Acquisition: Asiair mini
Guide scope:  Take 60/240
Guide camera: ZWO 224 with UV/IR cut 
Location: Faggiano (TA)
06/11/2025 (SII) moon phase 100%
11/11/2025 (SII) moon phase 64%
12/11/2025 (L-PARA) moon phase 53%
13/11/2025 (L-PARA) moon phase 43%
Processing software: DSS-PS

Hope you like it.