Ghost of Cassiopeia
IC 63 · Emission nebula in Cassiopeia
- Magnitude
- 10.0
- Size
- 10′ × 3′
- Effective surface brightness
- 22.3 mag/arcsec²
- Best months
- Sep, Oct, Nov
- Declination
- +61°
- Filter
- Dual-band recommended
A small emission and reflection wisp being eroded by the star Gamma Cassiopeiae. Keep the bright star's glare under control.
Reachable from mid-northern latitudes (UK, northern US, central Europe) and from the south.
How long with each smart telescope
| Telescope | In frame | Bortle 3 (rural) | Bortle 5 (suburban) | Bortle 7 (urban edge) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZWO Seestar S5010 s subs, dual-band | 23% | 1 h 16 min455 subs | 1 h 29 min533 subs | 2 h 25 min870 subs |
| ZWO Seestar S50 Pro10 s subs, dual-band | 12% | 1 h 26 min518 subs | 1 h 40 min602 subs | 2 h 41 min967 subs |
| ZWO Seestar S3010 s subs, dual-band | 14% | 1 h 34 min562 subs | 1 h 46 min639 subs | 2 h 43 min977 subs |
| ZWO Seestar S30 Pro10 s subs, dual-band | 7% | 1 h 34 min563 subs | 1 h 48 min651 subs | 2 h 53 min1,036 subs |
| DwarfLab DWARF 315 s subs, dual-band | 10% | 1 h 25 min340 subs | 1 h 45 min419 subs | 3 h 12 min767 subs |
| DwarfLab DWARF mini15 s subs, dual-band | 14% | 1 h 14 min297 subs | 1 h 27 min349 subs | 2 h 23 min574 subs |
| DwarfLab Draco30 s subs, dual-band | 13% | 59 min118 subs | 1 h 09 min139 subs | 1 h 56 min233 subs |
| DwarfLab DWARF II15 s subs | 9% | 4 h 51 min1,163 subs | 6 h 48 min1,631 subs | 15 h3,674 subs |
| Vaonis Vespera II10 s subs | 12% | 1 h 05 min389 subs | 1 h 47 min642 subs | 4 h 51 min1,745 subs |
| Vaonis Vespera Pro10 s subs | 10% | 2 h 40 min959 subs | 4 h 08 min1,489 subs | 11 h3,809 subs |
| Vaonis Vespera 310 s subs | 11% | 1 h 01 min369 subs | 1 h 42 min611 subs | 4 h 38 min1,671 subs |
| Vaonis Vespera Pro 210 s subs | 10% | 2 h 31 min904 subs | 3 h 56 min1,414 subs | 10 h3,642 subs |
| Unistellar eQuinox 24 s subs | 29% | 1 h 29 min1,338 subs | 1 h 55 min1,732 subs | 3 h 50 min3,451 subs |
| Unistellar Odyssey4 s subs | 30% | 7 h 58 min7,178 subs | 9 h 34 min8,609 subs | 17 h14,864 subs |
| Celestron Origin10 s subs | 20% | 15 min91 subs | 27 min163 subs | 1 h 19 min476 subs |
| Celestron Origin Mark II10 s subs | 22% | 19 min112 subs | 36 min216 subs | 1 h 51 min666 subs |
Imaging the emission nebula
Emission nebulae glow in a few narrow lines, mostly hydrogen-alpha (deep red) and doubly ionised oxygen (teal). A dual-band filter passes those lines and blocks most skyglow, which is why it cuts the time needed from a suburban sky so dramatically. Use it. From a genuinely dark site the gain is smaller because there is less skyglow to block, and read noise becomes the limit, which is where longer subs (EQ mode, or Expert Mode on a Vespera) earn their keep.
Stars lose colour through a dual-band filter; a short broadband stack blended in fixes that if you care.
Per-telescope pages
- How long to image the Ghost of Cassiopeia with the ZWO Seestar S50
- How long to image the Ghost of Cassiopeia with the ZWO Seestar S50 Pro
- How long to image the Ghost of Cassiopeia with the ZWO Seestar S30
- How long to image the Ghost of Cassiopeia with the ZWO Seestar S30 Pro
- How long to image the Ghost of Cassiopeia with the DwarfLab DWARF 3
- How long to image the Ghost of Cassiopeia with the DwarfLab DWARF mini
- How long to image the Ghost of Cassiopeia with the DwarfLab Draco
- How long to image the Ghost of Cassiopeia with the DwarfLab DWARF II
- How long to image the Ghost of Cassiopeia with the Vaonis Vespera II
- How long to image the Ghost of Cassiopeia with the Vaonis Vespera Pro
- How long to image the Ghost of Cassiopeia with the Vaonis Vespera 3
- How long to image the Ghost of Cassiopeia with the Vaonis Vespera Pro 2
- How long to image the Ghost of Cassiopeia with the Unistellar eQuinox 2
- How long to image the Ghost of Cassiopeia with the Unistellar Odyssey
- How long to image the Ghost of Cassiopeia with the Celestron Origin
- How long to image the Ghost of Cassiopeia with the Celestron Origin Mark II