Sharpless - 136: 'Ghost' in Cepheus, 2011 (digital photo)

Creator: Oleg Bryzgalov The constellation Cepheus is very rich in a variety of astronomical objects. Spooky Shapes seem to haunt this starry expanse, drifting through the night. The shapes are cosmic dust clouds faintly visible in dimly reflected starlight. Dust clouds like these are an important component of the Milky Way galaxy, filling huge volumes of space between the stars. The dust consists of tiny grains of minerals and ices and is an important building block for the formation of future stars and planets. "The more muted colours and ghostly forms of this cosmic dust cloud instantly captured my imagination as something that evokes the mystery of the deep sky - although looking more closely you spot the almost humorous 'figures' waving a salute" Rebekah Higgitt Born digital photograph 'Sharpless - 136: 'Ghost' in Cepheus', by Oleg Bryzgalov, taken on 16th July 2011, mountains of Crimea Taken with a Newtonian 10-inch reflector; WS-180 mount; 1200 MM f/4.7 lens; QSI-583 wsg camera; 10-minute exposure Highly-commended in the Deep Space category in the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2012