LDN 1235 (Cepheus)

The dark nebula LDN 1235 (Shark Nebula) in the constellation Cepheus. This interstellar cloud of gas and dust appears as a shark‑shaped silhouette against the Milky Way and belongs to the larger star‑forming complex called the Cepheus Flare. LDN 1235 spans about 15 light‑years and is located roughly 650 light‑years from Earth. It is catalogued as Lynds Dark Nebula 1235 and also listed as LBN 111.07+14.08 in the Lynds Catalogue of Bright Nebulae.

The Shark Nebula comprises the dark core LDN 1235 (forming the nose or eye of the shark), the reflection nebulae LBN 541 and LBN 546, and the faint H II region LBN 111.07+14.08 (also known as LBN 535). First classified in Beverly T. Lynds’ 1962 Catalogue of Dark Nebulae, it remains a challenging but striking target for astrophotographers.

The Cepheus Flare itself is a vast complex of dense molecular clouds and young stellar objects (YSOs) located approximately 1,000–1,600 light‑years from the Sun, in a region of the sky near Polaris and the northern celestial pole.

Within this complex, LDN 1235 represents one of the denser clouds, hosting a star‑forming region where young stars between 1 and 5 million years old are emerging. The nebula’s thick microscopic dust grains absorb and scatter starlight, producing the distinctive shark‑like outline seen in deep‑sky images. (source: https://www.constellation-guide.com).

Exposure time: 6h 54min (138x3min) at gain 100 and -10°C, taken on September 27/28, 2025 and on September 29/30, 2025. Processing with Astro Pixel Processor (APP) and Photoshop. Darks, flats, and bias were used. The exposure time for LDN 1235 is still too short by a factor of two to three, so noise reduction had to be applied to the image. Hopefully, I can add more exposure time next fall.

Equipment: Cooled ASI 2600MC Pro camera, TeleVue Paracorr Type II coma corrector, 8" f/4 "ONTC" Newtonian telescope riding on a ZWO AM5 Strain Wave Mount, ZWO OAG-L off axis system, ASI 174MM Mini guide camera, ASIAIR Plus.