LDN 1622- The Boogeyman Nebula!

Also known as the “Boogeyman Nebula”, LDN 1622 earns its nickname from its ominous, shadowy appearance, resembling a spooky figure or face in astrophotographs. This eerie outline, framed against the brighter regions of the Milky Way, lends it a mysterious and haunting character.

Photographed in LRGB from my mate Blue’s Bortle 3 rural property in Victoria, Australia over two hot summer nights, with some additional Ha captured from my backyard in Melbourne. There’s a surprising amount of red from the broadband data alone, so very little Ha was required. Blue was also kind enough to sprinkle a touch of Pixinsight fairy dust over the stars to ensure roundness due to occasional wind gusts on the property.

About this Nebula

Spanning a diameter of approximately 10 light-years, LDN 1622 is notably closer to Earth than the Orion Nebula (M42) or the reflection nebula M78, at an estimated distance of just 500 light-years. The nebula consists of dense molecular gas and dark dust, with certain regions so opaque that they obscure entirely the starlight from behind.

Positioned against a backdrop of faint red hydrogen-alpha emission, LDN 1622 subtly contrasts with this faint glow, although it remains dominated by its shadowy presence. Nearby, the brighter reflection nebula vdB 62 stands out, located just above and slightly to the right of the nebula’s centre in many images, providing an intriguing juxtaposition of light and darkness.LDN 1622 is a prime candidate for astronomers studying the properties of interstellar dust and gas and the early stages of star formation.