The Squid Nebula, also known as Sh2-129 or Ou4, is one of the most enigmatic and striking deep-sky objects. Located in the constellation Cepheus, this faint emission nebula spans an astonishing three degrees of the sky—roughly six times the diameter of the full moon. It was first discovered in 2011 by French astrophotographer Nicolas Outters.

What makes the Squid Nebula so extraordinary is its ghostly, bipolar shape, which appears embedded within the larger Sh2-129 region, known as the Flying Bat Nebula. The nebula glows predominantly in the OIII wavelength, giving it a bluish hue that contrasts dramatically against the surrounding H-alpha emission of Sh2-129.

Astrophysicists speculate that Ou4 may represent an enormous outflow of material ejected from a triple star system at its center, potentially linked to a massive stellar wind or an ancient supernova event. However, its true origins remain a subject of ongoing study.

Image Description and Details:

A nebula, Ou4, that I find very pretty so at the beginning of July, I started to photograph it. It is carried out in hoorvb. until October I got 113 hours of exposure in order to prepare for this image.

OIII 200X900S

HA 260X600S

RVB 240X300S



Copyright Information: Rémi Méré