NGC 281 Pacman Nebula

The nebula NGC 281, also known as the Pacman Nebula, is a typical emission nebula in which the matter, mostly hydrogen, is excited by one or more very hot stars. Located approximately 9,500 light-years away, it has the multiple star HD 5005 at its center. About a quarter of the nebula is covered by a layer of dust, which is why it has a distinctive shape, which attracts attention both photographically and visually, and which reminded observers in the 1980s of a famous video game character. Today, this small object is also called the Pacman Nebula and truly appears to be devouring the dust cloud. The photo is the result of approximately 9 hours of 300-second exposures.

Skywatcher 150-750 telescope, ASI 2600 MC camera, Ioptron Gem 28 mount, Baader corrector, Optolong L-Enhance filter, 60-240 guider, ASI 224 MC

DSS processing + Graxpert + Photoshop + Astropanel