California Nebula (NGC 1499)
A cloud of hydrogen shaped like the state it is named after.
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Buy in the shopAbout the object
The California Nebula (NGC 1499) in Perseus lies about 1,000 light years away and spans almost 2.5 degrees of sky – five times the width of the Moon. It is lit by the bright blue star ξ Persei, whose ultraviolet light ionises the nebula's hydrogen.
How the image was made
- Captured
- 27 November 2025 (start, several nights)
- Total exposure
- 40 h 12 min (804 × 180 s)
- Camera
- ZWO ASI2600MC Pro
- Focal length
- 448 mm
- Mount
- ZWO AM5N
- Calibration & stacking
- Siril 1.4.0
- Processing
- Adobe Lightroom 9.0 (Windows)
Data from the original file’s metadata or from the author.