Central Cygnus
IC 1318 & NGC 6888 • Widefield region • Cygnus • Approx. 4800 light-years from Earth
🔭
Svbony SV535
📷
ZWO ASI 2600MC Pro
🌃
Bortle 8
⏱️
33 hours
🗓️
Jul – Aug 2026
Overview
Central Cygnus is one of the richest regions of the Milky Way for wide field astrophotography. It’s packed with glowing hydrogen clouds, dark dust lanes, and dense fields of stars.
The entire area lies along one of the brightest stretches of the Milky Way. At this scale, the individual nebulae begin to merge into a vast network of glowing gas and dust stretching across the constellation of Cygnus.
This image includes the nebula IC 1318, together with the much smaller Crescent Nebula, NGC 6888, visible near the centre of the frame.
>Background
I’ve been keen to get a nice deep image using my Svbony SV535 telescope. The summer skies are full of sweeping vistas, and I zeroed in on Cygnus, which is particularly target-rich because of its location within the Milky Way. I figured it was the perfect region to make the most of the wide field of view provided by my telescope’s 105mm focal length.
As ever, I used my faithful ZWO ASI 2600MC Pro camera. It’s OSC rather than mono, but I use three filters — Optolong L-Ultimate (Ha/OIII); Askar E2 (SII/OIII); and Optolong L-Quad Enhance (for RGB stars) — which allows me to create SHO images with broadband stars.
The entire exposure time is 33 hours, of which the lion’s share is taken with the Askar E2, which totalled 21.5 hours. This was to help the SII shine through.
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Explore the field
Objects in this field 246 objects
246 objects
No matching objects.
- Crescent NebulaNGC 6888
- HII regionAlso catalogued as C 27 · LBN 203 · Sh2-105
- Sadrγ Cyg
- StarAlso catalogued as 37 Cyg · HR 7796 · HD 194093 · HIP 100453
- F8Ib
- Sadr RegionIC 1318
- HII regionAlso catalogued as Sh2-108 · LBN 234
- Cooling Tower ClusterM 29
- Open clusterAlso catalogued as NGC 6913 · Cr 422
- Tulip NebulaSh2-101
- HII regionAlso catalogued as Ced 173 · LBN 168
- Soap Bubble NebulaJu 1
- Planetary nebulaAlso catalogued as PN G075.5+01.7
- Sh2-104
- HII regionAlso catalogued as LBN 195
- IC 1311
- Open clusterAlso catalogued as Tr 36 · Cr 414 · Dolidze 2
- NGC 6910
- Open cluster
- Sh2-109
- HII region
- NGC 6871
- Open clusterAlso catalogued as Cr 413
- Gamma Cygni SNRSNR G078.2+02.1
- Supernova remnantAlso catalogued as DR 4
- LBN 249
- HII region
- LBN 240
- HII region
- Kite ClusterNGC 6866
- Open clusterAlso catalogued as Mel 229
- ASCC 111
- Open cluster
- IC 4996
- Open cluster
- Almighzalη Cyg
- StarAlso catalogued as 21 Cyg · HR 7615 · HD 188947 · HIP 98110
- K0IIIvar
- IC 1318B
- HII regionAlso catalogued as LBN 245
- IC 1318A
- HII regionAlso catalogued as LBN 251
- LBN 259
- HII region
- NGC 6883
- Open cluster
- SNR G073.9+00.9
- Supernova remnant
- OC 0128
- Open cluster
- Roslund 6
- Open cluster
- UBC 582
- Open cluster
- Biurakan 2
- Open cluster
- UBC 374
- Open cluster
- Dolidze 38
- Open cluster
- Dolidze 40
- Open cluster
- P Cyg
- Variable starAlso catalogued as 34 Cyg · HR 7763 · HD 193237 · HIP 100044
- B2pe · S Dor variable 3–6 mag
- LBN 238
- HII region
- b² Cyg
- StarAlso catalogued as 28 Cyg · V1624 Cyg · HR 7708 · HD 191610 · HIP 99303
- B2.5V · Variable (SXARI) 4.91–4.97 mag, period 0.7 d · Double (BNW 2AB) 81.9″ at 124°, companion 9.38 mag
- b³ Cyg
- StarAlso catalogued as 29 Cyg · V1644 Cyg · HR 7736 · HD 192640 · HIP 99770
- A2V · δ Scuti variable 4.94–4.97 mag, period 0.031 d · Double (ENG 72AC) 212.3″ at 22°, companion 9.99 mag
- 22 Cyg
- StarAlso catalogued as HR 7613 · HD 188892 · HIP 98068
- B5IV
- Dolidze 3
- Open cluster
- Ru 172
- Open cluster
- 35 Cyg
- StarAlso catalogued as HR 7770 · HD 193370 · HIP 100122
- F5Ib
- 25 Cyg
- StarAlso catalogued as V1746 Cyg · HR 7647 · HD 189687 · HIP 98425
- B3IV · γ Cas variable 5.19–5.26 mag
- Dolidze 36
- Open cluster
- LBN 181
- HII region
- b¹ Cyg
- StarAlso catalogued as 27 Cyg · V2008 Cyg · HR 7689 · HD 191026 · HIP 99031
- K0IV · RS CVn variable 5.36–5.41 mag
- 36 Cyg
- StarAlso catalogued as HR 7769 · HD 193369 · HIP 100108
- A2V
- 40 Cyg
- StarAlso catalogued as HR 7826 · HD 195050 · HIP 100907
- A3V
- HR 7767
- Double starAlso catalogued as HD 193322 · HIP 100069
- O9V · Double (STF 2666AB) 2.9″ at 245°, companion 8.24 mag
- UBC 139
- Open cluster
- LBN 286
- HII region
- V2119 Cyg
- Variable starAlso catalogued as HR 7807 · HD 194335 · HIP 100574
- B2Vne · Variable (BE) 5.74–5.85 mag
- FoF 503
- Open cluster
- UBC 366
- Open cluster
- Be 87
- Open clusterAlso catalogued as Dolidze 7
- Biurakan 1
- Open cluster
- Dolidze 44
- Open cluster
- UBC 373
- Open cluster
- HR 7784
- Double starAlso catalogued as HD 193702 · HIP 100268
- A1V · Double (STF 2668AB,C) 3.7″ at 280°, companion 8.49 mag
- LBN 276
- HII region
- SNR G076.9+01.0
- Supernova remnant
- Dolidze 4
- Open cluster
- UBC 365
- Open cluster
- Gulliver 31
- Open cluster
- IPHASX J195328.9+370957
- Planetary nebulaAlso catalogued as PN G072.5+04.9
- Dolidze 1
- Open cluster
- Dolidze 37
- Open cluster
- HR 7737
- Double starAlso catalogued as HD 192659 · HIP 99749
- B9IV-V · Double (STF 2657AC) 11.5″ at 33°, companion 9.80 mag
- Dolidze 5
- Open cluster
- UBC 1104
- Open cluster
- Dolidze 8
- Open cluster
- Celestial Snow AngelSh2-106
- HII region
- Basel 6
- Open cluster
- Dolidze 42
- Open cluster
- FSR 0198
- Open cluster
- Gulliver 23
- Open cluster
- SNR G074.9+01.2
- Supernova remnantAlso catalogued as CTB 87
- Gulliver 17
- Open cluster
- IC 1310
- Cluster + nebulaAlso catalogued as Be 50 · Ced 178
- DR15
- Open cluster
- Be 86
- Open cluster
- Gulliver 38
- Open cluster
- VDB 130
- Open cluster
- UBC 584
- Open cluster
- RS Cyg
- Variable starAlso catalogued as HD 192443 · HIP 99653
- C5II · Semiregular variable 6.5–9.5 mag, period 417 d · Double (BLL 47AB) 131.7″ at 354°, companion 7.15 mag
- Kronberger 36
- Open cluster
- Dolidze 39
- Open cluster
- Be 85
- Open clusterAlso catalogued as Dolidze 41
- Cyg OB2
- Open cluster
- MWSC 3384
- Open cluster
- Dolidze 11
- Open cluster
- Dolidze 9
- Open cluster
- Feibelman 1
- Open cluster
- vdB 136
- Reflection nebula
- B 144
- Dark nebulaAlso catalogued as LDN 857
- LDN 906
- Dark nebula
- FSR 0239
- Open cluster
- Gulliver 42
- Open cluster
- LBN 205
- HII region
- Cr 419
- Open cluster
- LBN 244
- HII region
- FSR 0236
- Open cluster
- FSR 0238
- Open cluster
- Cr 421
- Open cluster
- FSR 0195
- Open cluster
- LDN 895
- Dark nebula
- LDN 888
- Dark nebula
- HSC 595
- Open cluster
- LBN 222
- HII region
- LBN 270
- HII region
- NGC 6914
- Reflection nebulaAlso catalogued as LBN 274 · LBN 280 · vdB 131 · Ced 176d · DG 162 · vdB 132 · Ced 176e · DG 163 · NGC 6914a · NGC 6914b
- LBN 211
- HII region
- LDN 847
- Dark nebula
- Be 49
- Open cluster
- LBN 224
- HII region
- LBN 257
- HII region
- Kronberger 57
- Open cluster
- FSR 0219
- Open cluster
- LDN 884
- Dark nebula
- LBN 236
- HII region
- Be 51
- Open cluster
- FSR 0224
- Open cluster
- LDN 886
- Dark nebula
- LBN 233
- HII region
- LBN 174
- HII region
- LBN 178
- HII region
- LDN 850
- Dark nebula
- LDN 862
- Dark nebula
- LDN 889
- Dark nebula
- B 348
- Dark nebula
- LBN 170
- HII region
- LBN 193
- HII region
- LBN 292
- HII region
- Patchick 75
- Open cluster
- IPHAS J200522.65+393858.3
- Planetary nebulaAlso catalogued as PN G075.8+04.2
- LBN 208
- HII region
- LBN 262
- HII region
- LBN 285
- HII region
- LBN 293
- HII region
- LBN 182
- HII region
- LBN 187
- HII region
- LBN 206
- HII region
- vdB 130
- Reflection nebula
- FSR 0222
- Open cluster
- Kronberger 73
- Open cluster
- LBN 279
- HII region
- LBN 189
- HII region
- LBN 190
- HII region
- LBN 232
- HII region
- LBN 239
- HII region
- LBN 267
- HII region
- LBN 227
- HII region
- PM 1-320
- Planetary nebulaAlso catalogued as PN G080.2+05.8
- LDN 845
- Dark nebula
- LDN 858
- Dark nebula
- LBN 216
- HII region
- LBN 248
- HII region
- LBN 260
- HII region
- LBN 288
- HII region
- LBN 166
- HII region
- LBN 180
- HII region
- LBN 215
- HII region
- LBN 241
- HII region
- LBN 312
- HII region
- LBN 175
- HII region
- LDN 866
- Dark nebula
- LBN 172
- HII region
- LBN 243
- HII region
- LBN 278
- HII region
- Pa 22
- Planetary nebulaAlso catalogued as PN G075.3+05.5
- Pa 6
- Planetary nebulaAlso catalogued as PN G077.6+04.3
- LDN 897
- Dark nebula
- LDN 840
- Dark nebula
- LDN 854
- Dark nebula
- LBN 209
- HII region
- LBN 309
- HII region
- LBN 207
- HII region
- LBN 212
- HII region
- LDN 872
- Dark nebula
- LBN 261
- HII region
- LBN 199
- HII region
- LBN 264
- HII region
- B 145
- Dark nebulaAlso catalogued as LDN 865
- LDN 871
- Dark nebula
- M 4-17
- Planetary nebulaAlso catalogued as PN G079.6+05.8 · PK 079+05.1
- LBN 253
- HII region
- LBN 258
- HII region
- ARO 342
- Planetary nebulaAlso catalogued as PN G075.6+04.3 · PK 075+04.1
- NeVe 2
- Planetary nebulaAlso catalogued as PN G073.0+03.6
- LBN 179
- HII region
- LDN 890
- Dark nebula
- LDN 892
- Dark nebula
- LBN 273
- HII region
- Abell 69
- Planetary nebulaAlso catalogued as PN G076.3+01.1 · PK 076+01.1
- KLSS 2-3
- Planetary nebulaAlso catalogued as PN G070.8+02.4 · PN G070.9+02.4 · PK 070+02.1
- LBN 171
- HII region
- Dd 1
- Planetary nebulaAlso catalogued as PN G078.6+05.2 · PK 078+05.1
- LDN 869
- Dark nebula
- LDN 893
- Dark nebula
- Pa 14
- Planetary nebulaAlso catalogued as PN G075.0+05.6
- LDN 852
- Dark nebula
- LDN 876
- Dark nebula
- IRAS 20084+3604
- Planetary nebulaAlso catalogued as PN G073.4+01.5
- Ou 6
- Planetary nebulaAlso catalogued as PN G072.0+02.2
- B 147
- Dark nebulaAlso catalogued as LDN 853
- TaWe 4
- Planetary nebulaAlso catalogued as PN G070.8+03.7 · PK 070+03.1
- Sd 1
- Planetary nebulaAlso catalogued as PN G078.9+00.7 · PK 078+00.1
- LBN 177
- HII region
- LBN 213
- HII region
- LBN 223
- HII region
- LBN 242
- HII region
- LBN 305
- HII region
- IPHASX J200522.0++36594
- Planetary nebulaAlso catalogued as PN G073.6+02.8
- LBN 252
- HII region
- LDN 887
- Dark nebula
- LDN 899
- Dark nebula
- LBN 183
- HII region
- LBN 217
- HII region
- LDN 900
- Dark nebula
- B 343
- Dark nebulaAlso catalogued as LDN 880
- LDN 856
- Dark nebula
- LDN 848
- Dark nebula
- LDN 849
- Dark nebula
- LDN 867
- Dark nebula
- LDN 891
- Dark nebula
- NGC 6874
- Stellar association
- B 344
- Dark nebula
- LDN 855
- Dark nebula
- LDN 877
- Dark nebula
- LBN 192
- HII region
- LDN 901
- Dark nebula
- LDN 861
- Dark nebula
- LDN 863
- Dark nebula
- LDN 881
- Dark nebula
- LBN 268
- HII region
- LDN 875
- Dark nebula
- LDN 879
- Dark nebula
- LDN 894
- Dark nebula
- NGC 6881
- Planetary nebulaAlso catalogued as PN G074.5+02.1 · PK 074+02.1
- LBN 197
- HII region
- LDN 878
- Dark nebula
- LDN 883
- Dark nebula
- LBN 194
- HII region
- LBN 214
- HII region
- B 342
- Dark nebulaAlso catalogued as LDN 885
- LDN 882
- Dark nebula
- LBN 281
- Reflection nebula
- B 146
- Dark nebulaAlso catalogued as LDN 860
- LDN 902
- Dark nebula
- B 347
- Dark nebula
About the labels and credits
Positions and outlines are calculated from a plate solution of this photograph. Outlines are catalogue guides and may not follow every visible filament. Additional catalogue objects may be faint or indistinct in this exposure.
Plate solving and annotation data: SkySolver, by Dominik Sito. Stars: Gaia DR3 and Hipparcos (ESA). Deep-sky data: OpenNGC © Mattia Verga (CC BY-SA 4.0), SIMBAD and VizieR (CDS). Names: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) and IAU WGSN. Catalogue overlay adaptations, including styling and selected display names, are shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph © Lee Pullen.
Science
The Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888) is probably the stand-out object in my image. It’s a vast bubble of gas about 25 light years across, created by the powerful stellar winds of the massive Wolf Rayet star WR 136. The star previously shed material during an earlier stage of its life, and its much faster present day wind is now crashing into that older gas, sculpting the nebula’s intricate shell and filaments. The turquoise colour in my image comes from glowing oxygen.
IC 1311 is a faint open star cluster. It’s a bit of an oddity because normally star clusters drift apart, but its members are quite old (probably 1 to 2 billion years old). For some reason, they’ve stuck together.
When I was studying this particular close-up, I noticed a tiny, faint blue-green blob between IC 1311 and the top of the frame. I did a bit of digging and realised it’s Patchick 6, a.k.a. DSH J2009.6+4114, which is probably a planetary nebula.
Sadr is the brightest star in my image. It’s much larger and more luminous than our own Sun. It’s around 1800 light-years from us, so a lot closer than the nebulosity (which is around 5000 light-years distant). So, Sadr isn’t actually embedded within the nebulosity, but just looks like it because of our line of sight.
Sh2-104 is a bubble of ionised hydrogen carved out by a hot, young, high-mass star. The nebula itself is surrounded by a ring of gas and dust with some dense clumps that may go on to form new stars.
The Butterfly Nebula forms part of the huge IC 1318 complex surrounding Sadr. Its two glowing lobes are rich in ionised hydrogen, while the striking dark band between them is a dense cloud of interstellar dust known as LDN 889. Rather than being an empty gap, this dust is blocking the light from the bright nebula behind it, creating the butterfly shaped appearance.
I’ve imaged the Butterfly Nebula before using my Askar 130PHQ telescope:
Svbony SV535 cropAskar 130PHQThe Tulip Nebula (Sh2-101) is a gas cloud that’s being excited by the ultraviolet radiation from nearby stars. It’s a target I’d like to return to with my Askar 130PHQ.
The Soap Bubble Nebula (PN G75.5+1.7) was only discovered in 2008. It’s an extremely faint and remarkably spherical planetary nebula. It’s thought to be the expanding outer shell of a dying Sun like star, roughly 5 light-years across and around 4000 light years away.
WR 134 is a Wolf–Rayet star in the constellation Cygnus, surrounded by a faint bubble of ionised gas sculpted by powerful stellar winds. The star, about 6000 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus, is the exposed core of a massive sun shining 400,000 times brighter than our own.
I’ve imaged WR 134 before using my Askar 130PHQ:
Svbony SV535 cropAskar 130PHQM29 is a young open cluster. It’s compact but bright, so amateurs can see it visually even through a small telescope. M29 is sometimes nicknamed the Cooling Tower Cluster.
Kit list
This is the equipment I used to capture the image.
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Telescope: Svbony SV535
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Camera: ZWO ASI 2600MC Pro
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Mount: StellarDrive X 6R PRO
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Rebuilt into a StellarDrive X 6R PRO by DarkFrame Optics.
Guidescope: Svbony SV165 Guidescope
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Guidecam: ZWO ASI 120MM Mini
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Control: ASIAIR Mini
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Filter: Optolong L-Quad Enhance
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Filter: Optolong L-Ultimate
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Filter: Askar E2
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Processing walkthrough
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Example source data
Here are example single subframes and freshly integrated stacks, just with simple stretches applied.
Seestar S50 image
This photo of the Crescent Nebula (near the centre of my main image) was taken using my Seestar S50 telescope.
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