IC 63, also known as the “Ghost of Cassiopeia”, is an emission and reflection nebula in the constellation Cassiopeia, about 600 light years away. The nebula is intensely irradiated with UV light by the nearby hot star Gamma Cassiopeiae, which excites hydrogen to glow, while dust components reflect the starlight. This interaction creates the characteristic mix of reddish emission and bluish reflection structures. IC 63 is part of a complex nebula region and impressively shows how energetic stars shape and slowly dissolve their surroundings.
| IMAGE DATA | |
|---|---|
| Object | IC63 – Ghost of Cassiopeia - Der Geist der Kassiopeia |
| Distance | approx. 600 light years |
| Date | 26.12.2025 |
| Exposure | RGB each 20x 180sec., Luminance 68x 180sec., HAlpha 42x 300sec. - Total 9.9h |
| Mount | Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro |
| Telescope | Skywatcher 200PDS with 1.0x coma corrector |
| Camera | ZWO ASI 2600mm with ZWO LRGB, HA % OIII Filter |
| Guiding | Zwo Asi OAG with ZWO Asi 290mm Mini & Asiair |
| Software | AsiAir, Astropixel Processor, Pixinsight, Photoshop CC, NoiseXterminator, Star X Terminator, BlurXterminator, Nik Collection 7 |