#wizard nebula

2025 October 8

NGC 7380: The Wizard Nebula

A starfield is shown surrounding a bright gaseous nebula in red with bits of white and blue. Pillars of dust and gas appear around the interior of the nebula pointing to energetic stars in a cluster in the nebula.

Images Credit & Copyright: Nevenka Blagovic Horvat & Miroslav Horvat

Explanation: What powers are being wielded in the Wizard Nebula? Gravitation strong enough to form stars, and stellar winds and radiations powerful enough to create and dissolve towers of gas. Located only 8,000 light years away, the Wizard nebula, featured here, surrounds a developing open star cluster NGC 7380. Visually, the interplay of stars, gas, and dust has created a shape that appears to some like a fictional medieval sorcerer. The active star forming region spans about 100 light years, making it appear larger than the angular extent of the Moon. The Wizard Nebula can be located with a small telescope toward the constellation of the King of Aethiopia (Cepheus). Although the nebula may last only a few million years, some of the stars being formed may outlive our Sun.

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)

NASA Official: Amber Straughn

A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,

NASA Science Activation

“Do not feel lonely, the entire universe is inside of you.” —Rumi

NGC 7380 has the colloquial name “The Wizard Nebula” because many see the jagged profile of a wizard, and his hat, in the sharp ridges of gas and dust. For me, the colour and shape reminds me of a red leaf from a maple tree in autumn, curled on the edges.

The Wizard Nebula is situated on an adjacent arm of our Milky Way galaxy, at a distance of only 8,500 light years from earth. Note: It is about 40 light years in size, whereas, our solar system in only 1 light-DAY in radius. So, do the math: 40 x 365‎ = 14 600. Its size is more than 14 000 times greater than the size of our solar system.

It is far too faint to be viewed unaided. Even with an amateur telescope, you are unlikely to see any details with just your eyes. Amateur astrophotographers love it, because it demonstrates the beauty of distant objects that can only be seen via long patient imaging, and skilled post-processing.

I photographed the Wizard Nebula from my garden in Strasbourg France on two nights in October 2025. This is an ensemble of 125 photos, where each was a 3 minute exposure (6 hours of photography).

Equipment used to capture images:

Telescope: Skywatcher Quattro 150/600

Computer: ASIAIR

Mount: AM5

Filter: Optolong L-Pro

Camera: ASI183MC-PRO

Processing Software:

Pixinsight

Blur Exterminator

Noise Exterminator

Star Exterminator