LDN 1355 commonly known as the Helping Hand Nebula is a complex region of dark interstellar dust embedded within faint emission and reflection nebulosity in Cepheus. The distinctive shapes are formed as dense clouds of cold dust obscure the background star field, while nearby stars illuminate surrounding gas, revealing subtle colour and structure.
The image was captured in RGB in a single night under dark skies near Stonehenge using an Askar FRA400 refractor. Careful processing was used to balance the faint emission with the surrounding dust lanes, preserving fine detail and natural star colour while maintaining the low-contrast character of this region.
LDN 1355 commonly known as the Helping Hand Nebula is a complex region of dark interstellar dust embedded within faint emission and reflection nebulosity in Cepheus. The distinctive shapes are formed as dense clouds of cold dust obscure the background star field, while nearby stars illuminate surrounding gas, revealing subtle colour and structure.
The image was captured in RGB in a single night under dark skies near Stonehenge using an Askar FRA400 refractor. Careful processing was used to balance the faint emission with the surrounding dust lanes, preserving fine detail and natural star colour while maintaining the low-contrast character of this region.
