NGC 7129 and NGC 7142

NGC 7129 is a reflection nebula located 3,300 light years away in the constellation Cepheus. A young open cluster is responsible for illuminating the surrounding nebula. A recent survey indicates the cluster contains more than 130 stars less than 1 million years old. NGC 7129 is located just half a degree from nearby cluster NGC 7142 (bottom left). The nebula is rosebud-shaped; the young stars have blown a large, oddly shaped bubble in the molecular cloud that once surrounded them at their birth. The bluesy pink color comes from glowing dust grains on the surface of the bubble being heated by the intense light from the young stars within. Ultimately the natal gas and dust in the region will be dispersed, the stars drifting apart as the loose cluster orbits the center of the galaxy.

NGC 7142 & NGC 7129

Telescope: 16″ f3.75 Dream Scope
Camera: FLI ML16803
Mount: ASA DDM85
Exposure: 8 hours (42x300s L + 3x15x300s RGB)
Date: May 2019
Location: Southern Alps, France

One Reply to “NGC 7129 and NGC 7142”

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