SH 2-142 - NGC 7380 - The Wizard Nebula

In the night sky, the silhouette of a medieval wizard, wearing a pointed hat. SH 2-142, better known as the "Wizard Nebula," is a spectacular emission nebula in the constellation Cepheus, located approximately 9,000 light-years from Earth. It surrounds the young star cluster NGC 7380, which is only a few million years old. The bright areas are made up of clouds of dust and gas near the binary star DH Cephei, which emits a phenomenal amount of ultraviolet radiation. The energy of this radiation illuminates the gas through photoionization. A total of 17 hours of exposure, spread over three nights, was required to capture this image from my garden. Can you see the wizard's hands trying to grab you?