Flying Bat & Giant Squid

SH2‑129 is an H II emission nebula located in the constellation Cepheus, roughly 1 300 light‑years from Earth, forming an extended ionized shell shaped by massive‑star radiation. Embedded within it is OU4, a giant bipolar outflow or possible planetary‑nebula–like structure spanning more than 2.5 degrees on the sky and discovered only in 2011 through narrowband imaging.

Data for this image was gathered from 8 sessions between 2026-03-10 and 2026-04-19.
Data for this image: 156x300s Ha, 156x300s O-III.
Total number of exposures 312 with a total integration time of 26 hours.
Processing: PixInsight with HOO palette with synthetic RGB stars.
Equipment: SkyWatcher EvoStar 80ED Pro (0,85x FR/FF) and Player One Poseidon-M Pro on SkyWatcher HEQ5 Pro with SkyWatcher EvoGuide 50ED and ZWO ASI120MM Mini. Player One SII, Ha, and OIII filters. Location: 63 degrees north with a bortle 4 sky.

#astrophotography #observatory #pixinsight #SH2129 #OU4 #flyingbatnebula #giantsquidnebula