The Ghost Nebula is a reflection nebula located approximately 1,470 light-years away in the constellation
Cepheus. The Ghost Nebula spans more than 2 light-years. It is illuminated by several nearby stars. Its spooky appearance has earned it the ghostly nickname. The nebula’s clouds of dust and gas have shapes that resemble human figures with their arms raised. These clouds contain several young stars whose light makes the nebula glow in brownish tones.
The nebula is part of a much larger nebulous region in
Cepheus. It lies at the edge of the Cepheus Flare molecular cloud. The Cepheus Flare is a large star-forming region that also encompasses the nearby
Iris Nebula. The molecular cloud complex spans an area seven times the size of the full Moon.
The Ghost Nebula is referred to as a Bok globule, a cloud of cold, dense material with denser knots that can collapse and form new stars. Bok globules typically produce binary and multiple star systems.
The nebula is catalogued as Bok globule CB230. It contains a star that is still in the process of forming. The star’s presence is indicated by cones swirling in opposite directions. The jets of material are carved and sculpted by the wind, ultraviolet radiation, and disk of material swirling around the young star. The class G star embedded within the dust cloud is believed to be a binary star system. It is catalogued as BD+67 1300. (source constellation-guide .com)
this was shot over two nights on our astro vacation in Southwest New Mexico June 2nd and 3rd 2022
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