How to photograph the Wizard Nebula (NGC 7380)
A glowing cloud around a young cluster, shaped like a wizard in a pointed hat.
Photo byChuck Ayoub(CC BY-SA 4.0)
When to shoot it from your location
About the Wizard Nebula
The Wizard sits high in northern skies in late summer and fall. It is bright in hydrogen and oxygen, so it works well with a dual-band filter from the suburbs.
Gear and framing
The Wizard Nebula spans about 25′ of sky. It frames best with:
- Small refractor (250-600mm)
- Long focal length (800mm and up)
You can see how other people have built their rigs on RigDesigner, including my Sony a6700 and 60mm refractor rig.
Filters
This target glows in hydrogen-alpha and oxygen-III light. A dual-band filter, or separate narrowband filters with a mono camera, lets that light through and blocks most light pollution and moonlight. It is a good choice for city skies and for nights with the Moon up.
Tips
- At 600-800mm the wizard shape fills the frame. Shorter focal lengths show the surrounding hydrogen too.
Processing
Stack your light frames with darks and flats, then remove the background gradient before stretching. AstroBake does all of this for you. Point it at your folders of raw frames, then adjust the result with live sliders.