LDN1228 by CNPAstronomy

ASTRO:
     type=Dark nebula
     mag=(unk)
     const=Cepheus
     dist=1000 ly
     size=30 ly
IMAGE:
     location=Emerald Bay Community, Lake Palestine, TX, USA
     BrtlCls=4
     moon=28%
     exposure=CMOS OSC, 179x180s (9.0h), G100
     palette=RGB
EQUIPMENT:
​     optics=ES102CF APO / Stellarvue 0.8x rdcr,  FL=571mm (eff.),  f/5.6 (eff.)
     camera=ZWO ASI2600MC-Pro
     filter=Optolong L-Pro
     mount=Celestron AVX
     guiding=Orion 60x240mm, ZWO ASi224MC
SOFTWARE:
     acquisition=Stellarium, NINA, PHD2
     processing=PixInsight (RC Astro, SetiAstro), Photoshop (Lumenzia, APF-R)

Locked in an eternal, cosmic battle, and located just 11 degrees from Polaris, this striking image captures the interstellar dust cloud complex popularly known as the "Fighting Dragons of Cepheus" (LDN 1228 & LBN 552).  Located appx 1,000 light-years away within the expansive Cepheus Flare Molecular Cloud Complex, this region showcases a beautiful, contrasting interplay between light and absolute darkness.
The ominous silhouette of the "dragon" to the left is formed by LDN 1228 (Lynds Dark Nebula 1228).  Rather than emitting its own light, this dense, opaque concentration of microscopic interstellar dust acts as a cosmic blackout curtain, completely absorbing the visible light of stars blazing both inside and behind it.  But don’t let the cold, quiet exterior fool you: LDN 1228 is a cosmic maternity ward.  Deep within its shadowy folds, intense low-mass star formation is underway, quietly birthing protostars that reveal themselves by way of energetic stellar jets known as Herbig-Haro objects (visible here as tiny red streaks inside and near the "dragon's eye").
Opposing the LDN 1228 darkness is LBN 552 (Lynds Bright Nebula 552).  Lacking a single, nearby superstar to illuminate it, LBN 552 is notorious among astronomers for being the faintest object in Beverly Lynds’ entire catalog.  Its ghostly glow is powered purely by Integrated Flux; the combined, scattered starlight of the entire Milky Way galaxy softly bouncing off diffuse cosmic dust.  Adding to the drama is Cohen 129, a rare, triangular orange reflection nebula resting to the right like a fiery snout on the LBN 552 dragon.
Capturing this cosmic battle is no small feat.  Because these nebulae are incredibly dim, their low brightness hovers only a few percent above the ambient background noise of the night sky.  Astrophotographers must endure hours of long exposures to coax these "whispers in the dark" out of their camera sensors.  It turns out that getting these two mythical beasts to pose for a portrait requires a level of patience that borders on being superhuman.

261006 - LDN1228 "Fighting Dragons of Cepheus"

dark nebula