IC1318, photographed from the beautiful dark skies of Idaho.
This is sometimes called the "Butterfly Nebula" because it resembles a butterfly (the body in the middle, and wings on either side). This is not to be confused with a different "Butterfly Nebula" (NGC 6302).
This area is rich in "ionized" hydrogen, Sulphur, and oxygen gas. Gas is "ionized" as nearby stars emit light into the general area. This starlight causes electrons in the gas atoms to move around and ultimately emit light photons. Those light photons then travelled 4,000 light years (in this case) to reach us on Earth.
The rich colors in this photo are made possible by specialized camera filters that only allow certain wavelengths of light through at a time. Certain deep-space photos can take hours (and even days) to photograph because it takes time to collect enough data in *each* wavelength of light. Before committing to a certain photo, I usually take several 3-5 minute test images in Hydrogen/Sulphur/Oxygen just to see what light the object emits. This dictates how much time I will spend shooting on each filter.
I love astrophotography because it lets us enjoy the hidden beauty that surrounds this planet.
High resolution photo available here: https://www.astrobin.com/full/p8yrnc/0/ (click "Full Resolution" button at top right)
