{
  "id": 6311013,
  "title": "Astrophotographer captures jaw-dropping view of the Crescent Nebula",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/astrophotographer-captures-jaw-dropping-view-of-the-crescent-nebula",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-08T18:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Space.com",
    "slug": "space-com",
    "url": "https://www.space.com/stargazing/astrophotography/astrophotographer-captures-jaw-dropping-view-of-the-crescent-nebula"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "Astrophotographer Kevin Boardman spent more than 16 hours capturing the intricate filaments of the Crescent Nebula.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}