Sh2-126, also known as the ‘Great Lacerta Nebula’, is an extensive H-II region in the constellation Lacerta, some 1,200 light-years away.
The extensive nebula is mainly ionised by the intense ultraviolet radiation from the hot star 10 Lacertae. The region displays extensive hydrogen structures, interspersed with dark dust clouds, which give the image its characteristic structure. Sh2-126 spans several degrees across the sky and belongs to the Lacerta OB1 stellar association.
| Image data | |
|---|---|
| Object | SH2-126 |
| Distance | 1.200 light-years |
| Date | 06.09.2026 |
| Exposure | RGB: 16 x 120 sec. each, luminance: 59 x 180 sec. & H-alpha: 35 x 300 sec. – total approx. 5 hours |
| Telescope | William Optics RedCat 51 |
| Camera | ZWO ASI 2600MM Pro |
| Mount | Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro |
| Guiding | ZWO OAG with ZWO ASI 290MM Mini & ASIAIR |
| Filters | LRGB, Hα 3 nm (Antlia) |
| Software | ASIAIR, Stellarium, AstroPixelProcessor, PixInsight, GraXpert, StarXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, BlurXTerminator, Topaz DeNoise AI, Photoshop CC, Nik Collection 7 |