Astrophotographer captures jaw-dropping view of the Crescent Nebula

A remarkable image of the Crescent Nebula, a celestial object located in the constellation Cygnus, was captured by astrophotographer Kevin Boardman. The nebula, which spans 25 light-years and surrounds a massive Wolf-Rayet star named WR 136, reveals intricate filaments of gas that have been shaped by stellar winds over time. Boardman spent 16 hours and 18 minutes imaging the nebula with a ZWO ASI533MC Pro camera, using a combination of narrowband filters to highlight different elements and structures within the nebula.

The orange-red hues of the H-alpha filter reveal the complex filaments, while the blue-cyan tones of the [O III] filter outline the emission from doubly ionized oxygen. Although the Crescent Nebula is too faint to be seen with the naked eye, it can be observed with a moderate-to-large telescope throughout September, particularly on the dark nights surrounding the new moon phase on September 10-11.

To find the nebula, first locate the magnitude +2.34 star Sadr at the center of the Cygnus constellation, then locate the magnitude +4.03 star Eta Cygni. The Crescent Nebula lies directly between these two stars and is best viewed under dark skies.