# Pacman Nebula / NGC281

#### **NGC 281**

[![erRWofJ - Imgur.jpg](https://astro.afonsomuralha.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/errwofj-imgur.jpg)](https://astro.afonsomuralha.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/errwofj-imgur.jpg)

> **My best photo of the Pacman Nebula -** [Full resolution picture available on Telescopius](https://telescopius.com/pictures/view/240197/deep_sky/ic-11/ngc281/by-afonso_muralha?gallery_order=is_featured&gallery_page=1&gallery_user_id=39078#annotated=off)   
> **Details**:  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Date**: 26/Aug/2025  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Exposures**: 10x5min Lights, 3x5min Darks  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Gain**: 105 (doh!)  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Sensor Temperature**: -10ºC  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Guiding**: Yes  
> **Equipment**:  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Camera**: ZWO ASI294MC Pro  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(170, 170, 170); background-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); white-space: pre-wrap;">- </span>**Filters**<span style="color: rgb(170, 170, 170); background-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">: SVBONY SV260 Light pollution filter</span>  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Telescope**: Svbony Apochromatic 80/448 mm SV503 80ED Doublet (0.8x reducer/flattener)  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Mount**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">: EQ5 modified with Onstep </span>

### **Description**

NGC 281, IC 11 or Sh2-184 is a bright emission nebula and part of an H II region in the northern constellation of Cassiopeia and is part of the Milky Way's Perseus Spiral Arm. This 20×30 arcmin sized nebulosity is also associated with open cluster IC 1590, several Bok globules and the multiple star, B 1. It collectively forms Sh2-184,\[3\] spanning over a larger area of 40 arcmin.\[4\] A recent distance from radio parallaxes of water masers at 22 GHz made during 2014 is estimated it lies 2.82±0.20 kpc (9200 ly) from us.\[5\] Colloquially, NGC 281 is also known as the Pacman Nebula for its resemblance to the video game character.

<p class="callout info">[Find more information about the Pacman Nebula on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_281)</p>

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### **Personal Stats**

#### **First observation**

<table class="align-center" id="bkmrk-%F0%9F%93%86-12%2F01%2F2013-%F0%9F%93%8D-los-a" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 50%; border-width: 1px; height: 58px;"><colgroup><col style="width: 21.2346%;"></col><col style="width: 78.5185%;"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 29px;"><td class="align-center" style="border-width: 1px; height: 29px;">📆

</td><td class="align-center" style="border-width: 1px; height: 29px;">26/08/2025

</td></tr><tr style="height: 29px;"><td style="border-width: 1px; height: 29px; vertical-align: middle;">📍

</td><td class="align-center" style="border-width: 1px; height: 29px;">Fontão Fundeiro, Portugal

</td></tr></tbody></table>

#### **Imaging sessions**

<table class="align-center" id="bkmrk-%C2%A0datebortle-classtot" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 80%; height: 87.5px; border-width: 1px;"><colgroup><col style="width: 86px;"></col><col style="width: 244px;"></col><col style="width: 298px;"></col></colgroup><tbody><tr style="height: 29.5px;"><td class="align-center" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-style: none; height: 29.5px; border-width: 1px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Date</span>

</td><td class="align-center" style="height: 29.5px; border-width: 1px;">Bortle Class

</td><td class="align-center" style="height: 29.5px; border-width: 1px;">Total Exposure Time

</td></tr><tr style="height: 29px;"><td class="align-center" style="vertical-align: middle; height: 29px; border-width: 1px;">26/8/2025

</td><td class="align-center" style="vertical-align: middle; height: 29px; border-width: 1px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> Class 4</span>

</td><td class="align-center" style="vertical-align: middle; height: 29px; border-width: 1px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> 50min (10x5min)</span>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

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**Captured media**

#### **Photographs**

[![erRWofJ - Imgur.jpg](https://astro.afonsomuralha.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/errwofj-imgur.jpg)](https://astro.afonsomuralha.com/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/errwofj-imgur.jpg)

> **My best photo of the Pacman Nebula -** [Full resolution picture available on Telescopius](https://telescopius.com/pictures/view/240197/deep_sky/ic-11/ngc281/by-afonso_muralha?gallery_order=is_featured&gallery_page=1&gallery_user_id=39078#annotated=off)   
> **Details**:  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Date**: 26/Aug/2025  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Exposures**: 10x5min Lights, 3x5min Darks  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Gain**: 105 (doh!)  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Sensor Temperature**: -10ºC  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Guiding**: Yes  
> **Equipment**:  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Camera**: ZWO ASI294MC Pro  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(170, 170, 170); background-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); white-space: pre-wrap;">- </span>**Filters**<span style="color: rgb(170, 170, 170); background-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">: SVBONY SV260 Light pollution filter</span>  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Telescope**: Svbony Apochromatic 80/448 mm SV503 80ED Doublet (0.8x reducer/flattener)  
> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> - </span>**Mount**<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">: EQ5 modified with Onstep </span>