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The dusty Vulcan

Data captured by Hunter Outten/Spencer Stecz, processed by Kaleb Jordan/Hunter Outten

The region around the galaxies M81 and M82 is known for its copious amount of galactic cirrus — foreground dust that lies in our own galaxy. This dust is illuminated not by any individual star or cluster but the galaxy’s overall, ambient glow. Zoom out far enough and among these wispy clouds lies the Vulcan Nebula (WPS 46), appearing perched above them in this deep exposure of 193⅓ hours. The imagers used a 135mm f/2 lens and both monochrome and one-shot color cameras, using LRGB as well as Hα, OIII, and dual-band SII/OIII filters.