Michael A. Stecker
mastecker@gmail.com

Ghost Nebula in Cepheus (cropped high contrast version)
shot with 10-inch Newtonian telescope
The Ghost Nebula (aka:Sh 2-136, VdB 141) is a reflection nebula located 1,470 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cepheus near the Iris Nebula (NGC 7023). While it resembles a ghost to many, to me it appears like an attacking bird with talons directed to an unusual prey to the left. There are several stars embedded, whose reflected light make the nebula appear a yellow-brown color. This cropped image is a joint project of James Foster and Michael Stecker using a Sky-Watcher 250P 10-inch f/4 Newtonian telescope and color camera. The exposure was for about 13 hours and was processed in Pixinsight and Adobe Photoshop.
file: GhostNebula803minEXP10inNewt-ccrsm.jpg
click here for full resolution image

Photographic Data
Date:
September 13-17, 2026

telescope:
Sky-Watcher Quattro 250P
(10-inch f/4 Newtonian telescope with coma corrector)
FL= 1,000 mm
cropped photo
 

mount:
ZWO AM7 harmonic mount

guiding:
Off-axis, ZWO ASI120MM mini guide camera

imaging camera:
ZWO ASI6200MC-Pro (full frame one-shot color astro-camera)
cropped image

exposure:
803 minutes  or 13.3 hours

processing:
Pixinsight, BlurXterminator plug-in and Adobe Photoshop

photographic site:
Pinon Pines Estates (Frazier Park California)
(Bortle 4 at 5,500 ft elevation)




Ghost Nebula cropped lower contrast version
file: GhostNebula803minEXP10inNewt-1cr1sm.jpg
click here for full resolution image





Ghost Nebula cropped with increased contrast
file: GhostNebula803minEXP10inNewt-1cr4.jpg
click here for full resolution image




Ghost Nebula cropped and rotated into true view orientation
file: GhostNebula803minEXP10inNewt-1cr3r.jpg
click here for full resolution image