California Nebula

The California Nebula, resembling the outline of the U.S. state, is a stunning emission nebula located in the constellation Perseus. This celestial marvel, captured in our Astrophotography Prints, glows brightly due to the ionization of its hydrogen gas by a nearby massive star.

Distance

Approximately 1,000 light years from Earth

Apparant Magnitude

6.0

Object Type

Emission Nebula

Acrylic Print
California Nebula

from $136.06

Matte Poster
California Nebula

from $41.15

Canvas
California Nebula

from $108.30

From the Artist

"I originally photographed this nebula back in January 2022. Back then, I had about 9 hours put into it, mostly into the hydrogen filter. This time around, I used exactly the same equipment (Redcat 51 telescope and ZWO ASI 1600 b/w camera) to capture additional frames. I did not end up using my old captures from before in this image as I found that the newer images were much sharper - due to the fact that I got a better focuser this time around I shot about 8 hours of hydrogen Alpha, and about 12.5 of Oxygen - which helped give a blueish glow to the image. On top of that, I captured about 5 hours of RGB starlight divided by each of the channels - so it total this image took about 25.5 hours to shoot."

In the Cosmos

California Nebula located inside the Perseus constellation

Situated in Perseus, a constellation rich in mythology and star clusters, the California Nebula is a part of our Milky Way galaxy. Nearby, you'll find the famous double cluster and the bright star Algol, known as the "Demon Star."