IC 1318, the “Butterfly” nebula: an image
We are pleased to share this amazing image of the IC 1318 emission nebula in Cygnus, here revealing dramatic details.
The IC 1318 “Butterfly” emission nebula: H-alpha image.
The image above comes from the sigma-clipping combination of 12, 120-second exposures, remotely taken with the ARTEC250+Paramount ME+C3Pro61000EC robotic unit available as part of the Virtual Telescope Project facility in Manciano, Italy, under the darkest skies of the Italian peninsula.
In this extraordinary image, the sky takes shape through breathtaking contrasts of light and shadow: we are facing IC 1318, the so-called “Butterfly Nebula“, captured by the Virtual Telescope Project. Located in the constellation Cygnus, near the bright star Sadr (γ Cygni), this emission nebula is a stunning display of interstellar gas and dust sculpted by the radiation of young, hot stars.
The nickname “Butterfly Nebula” comes from its bilobed structure, divided by dark dust lanes that seem to trace the wings of a giant cosmic butterfly. The glow is dominated by emission at the H-alpha wavelength of hydrogen, this is why a narrowband filter, centered on that frequency, was used to capture this picture.
Its estimated distance is between 2,500 and 5,000 light-years.
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