LBN 558 from my „Jade“ observatory

This image was captured using my new imaging setup mounted on the second pier, “Deep Sky Pier,” at the Jade Observatory.

The target, LBN 558 (Lynd’s Bright Nebula 558), is a dark nebula located in the constellation Cepheus. This region is part of a complex of interstellar dust clouds that obscure background starlight, creating the characteristic dark structures visible against the denser star fields of the Milky Way.

All calibration, registration, and post-processing were performed using PixInsight. The workflow included standard preprocessing steps — bias, dark, and flat-field correction — followed by image alignment, integration, and nonlinear stretching. Final adjustments to contrast, color balance, and noise reduction were applied to highlight the faint dust structures and maintain a natural background.

The resulting image reveals the intricate texture of the dark nebula and the subtle interplay between interstellar dust and the surrounding stellar environment.

In addition to the dark nebula, the image also contains several Herbig Haro objects and a number of quasars. The most distant of them are:

• WISEA J220939.23+742859.4 with a redshift of 2.5 and an apparent mag_v of 19.4 (SDSS DR17)
• WISEA J222159.52+754520.4 with a redshift of 2.5 and an apparent mag_v of 20.9 (SDSS DR17)
• WISEA J222546.40+744003.0 with a redshift of 2.5 and an apparent mag_v of 19.3 (SDSS DR17)

Here is an overview of the used equipment and the exposure times:

• Date: August and September 2025
• Location: Varel
• Telescope/Lense: 6″ Lacerta Newton
• Focal length [mm]: 450
• Focal ratio: 3
• Mount: Skywatcher EQ 8
• Camera: Lacerta Deepsky 2600 M
• Autoguiding: Off-Axis with ZWO Asi 120 MM Mini
• Filter: L:R:G:B:[Hα]:[OIII]
• Exposure time [min]: 438:240:240:240
• Resolution: 1.71/px