IC1318 is a giant HII cloud and one of the brightest among all the emission clouds in the Cygnus complex. The cloud is bisected by a thick obscuring dust lane to create two parts that have been compared to the wings of a butterfly which has led to its popular name. This image shows detail of the dark smoke-like whorls of dense dust and gas that obscure the bright nebulosity of the northern wing (Part B) of the Butterfly Nebula.
Right ascension: 20h 24m 55s | Declination: +40° 33′ 25″ | Distance: 5,000 Light Years
Field of view: 42 x 28 arcmin
Camera: SBIG ST-10XME
Telescope: APM 152-1200ED F/7.9
Guiding: Starlight Xpress Active Optics SXV-LF-AO
Filters: Astrodon Ha (3nm), OIII (3nm)
Exposures: Ha 17 x 20 min, OIII 19 x 20 min
Total exposure: 12 hours
Image composition: Cannistra Modified Bicolour Narrowband Technique
Scale: 1.15 arcsec/pixel
Image acquired: Over 5 nights between 2nd July – 8th August 2015
Image capture with MaxIm DL, FocusMax, ACP; Image processed with MaxIm DL; Photoshop CC 2014