By Jett Peters
The target Sh2-171 is often overlooked, and some astrophotographers dislike this target, but with proper choice of palette and careful processing this target can look very dynamic. The nebula is also a great option for those looking to image targets like the Tadpole nebula, as it has a similar structure in its core region, while offering an outer arc that clearly defines the limits of the nebula.
Sh2-171 is an emission region, and therefore a narrowband target, but it does have a large amount of dust present throughout. Located in the Cepheus constellation, it lends itself to both short and long focal lengths. With a wide focal length, the whole region can be imaged and the nebula stands out well against the background. With a long focal length, the core region can be imaged in significant detail, and as mentioned before it will take on the look of the Tadpole or Eagle nebula with bright pillars. There are also a few star clusters in the region that provide some variety to the star spacing in the background.
Sh2-171 can look very red in a natural color palette as it is made up primarily of Ha and Sii, but this gives it a very nice look in SHO. By using the SHO palette for Sh2-171 the contrast between the edge of the nebula and the core region is amplified. In addition the large dust structure in the middle of the nebula gives it depth as the dust seems to float above the emission.
The below image shows my take on the Sh2-171 region with the Esprit 100 from UDRO. This image is approximately 50 hrs with most of the time in the Oiii filter to showcase the blue color.
The starless image can be seen below:
A zoom-in on the core region showing Sh2-171’s tadpole-like structure can be seen below:
