Friday, May 9, 2025

This image captures the subtle reflection nebula Sh2-1, illuminated by the bright star π Scorpii (Jabbah) in the constellation Scorpius. The bluish glow is caused by starlight scattered by interstellar dust, similar to how Earth's sky appears blue. Faint red tones surrounding the reflection area may suggest warmer dust and traces of Hα emission. At the same time, faint, diffuse white dust appears across the frame, possibly representing integrated flux or background cirrus. This complex and faint region required deep exposure and careful processing to reveal both the soft gradient of the reflection and the interplay between gas, dust, and background stars. Acquisition details: Telescope: Askar FRA400 (400mm f/5.6) Camera: ZWO ASI294MC (OSC) Filter: Optolong L-Quad Mount: iOptron CEM25P Integration time: 25 hours (500 x 180s) Location: Southern Hemisphere, Bortle 6 sky Processing: Preprocessing in PixInsight