Bernes 142 + Stars Over Bucks + LRGB

Bernes 142

Credit: Stars Over Bucks

Filters: Optolong LRGB filters

 

 

Drifting through the southern skies, Bernes 142 appears as a striking absence of light—yet it sits within a much richer cosmic environment.
Nearby, faint blue wisps of a reflection nebula (IC 2631, top left) scatter starlight across the dust. Unlike emission nebulae, these clouds don’t glow on their own—they shine by reflecting the light of nearby stars, with shorter blue wavelengths scattering most efficiently (similar to Earth’s sky). You will also see a distant galaxy to the left of IC 2631. 
This entire region lies roughly 500–650 light-years away, part of the Chamaeleon molecular cloud complex—one of the closest active star-forming regions to Earth. The dark and reflective structures here span tens of light-years across, with individual filaments and knots stretching several light-years in size.
Located in the constellation Chamaeleon, this scene captures both extremes: dense dust blocking starlight, and fine particles scattering it into soft blue glows.
This was captured with my remote telescope at KKRO observatory (@astrocapetown) in South Africa over 4 nights. 

 

 

Telescope: Askar FRA400 f/3.9
Camera: Zwo ASI 2600MM Pro
Exposure: 160 x 6min L,30 x 6 min RGB,
Mount: Zwo AM3
Guiding: ASI120mini, 30mm scope
Filter: Optolong LRGB
Software: NINA, DSS, Pixinsight

Hope you like it.