The image above is a 2023 reprocessing of the same data. This isn’t quite as contrast or as saturated but brings out a lot more detail in the dust and the core of the nebula.

The Iris Nebula is a reflection nebula surrounded by dust making for one of the more unique nebulae in the night sky. At a distance of about 1,300 light years, the light captured in this image started on its journey approximately when the city of Prague was founded.

This is 24 hours and 40 minutes of data acquired at the end of August/beginning of September 2021. Thankfully the smoke from the fires out west didn’t interfere too much with the data collection for this one.

For all the technical details, see the astrobin.