Pacman Nebula
RA 0h 52m · Dec +56° 41′
5′

An emission nebula and embedded cluster IC 1590, named for its resemblance to the arcade character when imaged in narrowband. Rich in Bok globules — dark, dense clumps of gas that may be collapsing to form new stars. A reliable narrowband target in autumn skies.

Emission nebula

Pacman Nebula

NGC 281 · Cassiopeia
These photons are ~9,500 years old
LPBroadband light-pollution filter. Suppresses the sodium and mercury glow of streetlights while passing the main nebula emission lines and natural star colours.ZWO Seestar S50ZWO Seestar S50Aperture 50mm · Focal length 250mm · f/5 · Apo triplet with ED element · Sony IMX462 colour CMOS sensor (1920 x 1080, 2.1MP)…View equipment →
⧉ 5 versions of this capture — pick one to see its image and log
↻ Revisited — built over 2 nights, three months later
  1. 1 18/09/2025 6m (34 × 10s) ZWO Seestar S50, ZWO Seestar S50 Camera
  2. 2 12/12/2025 22m (135 x 10s) ZWO Seestar S50, ZWO Seestar S50 Camera
18/09/2025 12/12/2025 Three months later
Date
18/09/2025
Location
36.3859° N, 28.0414° E
Integration
6m (34 × 10s)
Software
ZWO Seestar app
Notes
·
Total effort
1h 34m over 2 nights
Moon
🌘Waning crescent, 17% lit
Plate solve
Centre RA
0h 52m 09.9s
Centre Dec
+56° 40′ 43″
Field
42.7′ × 76.0′
Pixel scale
2.37″/px
Orientation
88.5° E of N
Hemisphere
Northern
Also in this frame
IC 1590NGC281

Catalogued objects inside the plate-solved field, nearest the centre first. Highlighted names have their own photo here.

TelescopeZWO Seestar S50
CameraZWO Seestar S50 Camera
RigFamily Holiday Rig

Where to find it

Finder chart
+56°20′+56°30′+56°40′+56°50′+57°0h48m0h49m0h49m0h50m0h51m0h51m0h52m0h53m0h53m0h54m0h55m0h55m0h56m0h57mIC 1590IC 11NGC 281NE42.7′ x 76.0′5′

Star field and catalogued objects inside the plate-solved field, oriented to the solve. Fully offline, from the bundled star and deep-sky catalogues.

Interactive sky chart centred on 0 52 09.9 +56 40 43. Drag to pan, scroll to zoom, click a star or object to identify it. Zoom in to the plate-solved field for the DSS survey photo; zoom out for constellation figures and neighbouring catalogue objects. Fully self-hosted: the star and deep-sky catalogues and the survey image are all served from this site, so nothing external loads. Imagery: DSS2 colour (STScI / POSS-II). Constellation figures © Dominic Ford (GPLv3).

Captured from · Ρόδος (Rhodes)
36.3859° N, 28.0414° E · view on OpenStreetMap ↗ · Place data © GeoNames (CC BY)

Frequently asked questions

What kind of object is NGC 281?
NGC 281 is an emission nebula.
Which constellation is NGC 281 in?
NGC 281 lies in the constellation Cassiopeia.
How far away is NGC 281?
The light in this image left NGC 281 roughly ~9,500 years ago, so that is how far back in time you are seeing it.
What are the coordinates of NGC 281?
NGC 281 sits at right ascension 00h 52m 10s and declination +56° 40′ 43″ (J2000).
When is the best time to photograph NGC 281?
NGC 281 is circumpolar from around 36°N - it never sets, and rides highest (about 70° altitude) on evenings around October.
What else is in this frame?
The plate-solved field also contains IC 1590.
What equipment was used to photograph NGC 281?
This image of NGC 281 was captured with ZWO Seestar S50 and ZWO Seestar S50 Camera.
How much exposure time went into this image?
This image of NGC 281 represents 6m (34 × 10s) + 22m (135 x 10s) of total integration time.

Comments

Leave a comment

Your email is never shown. Comments are held for moderation before they appear.