NGC 7380 is a young star cluster, between 2 and 4 million years old and contains about 125 bright type O and B stars near the center of this image.  The red emission nebula Sh2-142 is part of the larger H-II region illuminated by these stars.  Interspersed dust lanes shape the contours of the nebula into a flying horse facing down and to the right, trailing a long flowing cape extending to the upper left.  You may have to use your imagine a bit to see this.  At the base of the horse's "tail", an eclipsing binary star DH Cephei is the source of much of the ionization in the nebula.  This complex resides at a distance of 9.700 light-years from Earth.  Magnitude is 7.2 with a size of 20 x 20 arc minutes. 

IMAGE DETAILS:

• Date & Location:  October 8, 2010  - Bernville, PA

• Weather:  Calm, 50F.

• Sky Conditions:  Clear with  average transparency.

• Optics:  TeleVue NP101is Refractor with 0.8x TeleVue Reducer = 432mm @ f4.3

• Filter:  Astronomic  EOS clip-in CLS-CCD (Light Pollution Suppression)

• Mount:  Losmandy G-11 equatorial with Gemini V4

• Guiding:  Orion Solitaire w/TeleVue TV60is

• Camera:  Canon T1i (500D) Hap Griffin Modified - Baader UV/IR

• Exposure:  66 min (10 x 5min, 2 x 8min @ ISO800).

• Calibration Frames:  16 Darks & 16 Bias frames

• Processing:  Images Plus 3.82b, Photoshop CS4, NIK.

• Comments:   Better tracking and perhaps focus could have helped to reduce the star sizes and improve the overall look of this image.