Eric Africa, taken from Starfront Observatories in Rockwood, Texas
The compact H II region Sharpless 2–135 glows amid a rich complex of glowing gas and shadowy dust roughly 7,500 light-years away in Cepheus. Nearby structures include Sh2–134 and numerous objects in Bevery Lynds’ catalogs of bright and dark nebulae, all shaped by radiation from massive stars. The photographer captured 46.2 hours of exposure in the Hubble palette using a 4-inch f/5 refractor.