NGC 7380 is a young star cluster 2-12 million years old, surrounded by emission nebulosity. The cluster is around 8,500 lightyears distant and 20 lightyears across. The star just above image centre is actually an eclipsing binary system, consisting of two massive blue-white stars that are responsible for ionizing much of the nebula.
The wizard's head is left of centre, the left hand in the very centre of the image, while the right hand is below this. This is an LRHaGB image and the shape would have been clearer if an OIII filter had been used, otherwise a bit of imagination is needed.
This image is the result of one hour of remote imaging from a telescope in Spain.
SBIG STL-6303 camera through a Planewave 12.5-inch Corrected Dall-Kirkham reflector.
Date: 29/10/2020
Photographer: Graham Wilcock
