Taming the Dark Shark LDN 1235: A Long Hunt Through Clouded Skies (Stefan Pommerin)

Celestial hemisphere: Northern · Constellation: Cepheus (Cep) · Contains: The star 16 Cep

Taming the Dark Shark LDN 1235: A Long Hunt Through Clouded Skies

LDN 1235 - The Dark Shark Nebula

This image of the Dark Shark Nebula (LDN 1235), located about 650 light-years away in the constellation Cepheus, represents one of my most challenging and rewarding astrophotography projects to date.

This nebula is a stunning dark molecular cloud illuminated by the faint glow of nearby stars.
Featured in the right upper corner is the galaxy PGC 67671 (aka UGC 11861), approx. 58 million light years away from Earth.

I began this project back in October 2024, eagerly awaiting clear nights to capture more photons. However, poor weather, persistent cloud cover, snow storms and that lovely snow-covered ground made it incredibly difficult. The snow acts like a giant reflector, amplifying light pollution and making my Bortle Scale feel far worse than it usually is.

Despite these conditions, I stubbornly pushed through and managed to gather 31.5 hours of integration time and hope you like the result!

Clear skies!

ZWO ASIAir Users
ZWO ASI 2600MC PRO

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Taming the Dark Shark LDN 1235: A Long Hunt Through Clouded Skies

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