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Sh2-170 is also known as the Little Rosette Nebula or LBN 117.62+02.29. This nebula is sometimes described as small, probably because it lies very close to NGC 7822, a large emission nebula located in the constellation Cepheus. Together they form the so called Question Mark, being Sh2-170 the dot of this symbol. Sh2-170 itself is located in the constellation Cassiopeia about 7500 light years away. Inside the nebula there is an open cluster called Stock 18, one of its stars, BD+63 2093p, the bright star at the very center of the nebula, is the responsible one for the ionization, and therefore the emission, of the entire nebula. This nebula is an active star formation place. In 2012, H. Bhatt et al., located many YSOs (Young Stellar Objects) with masses between 0.8 and 2.0 solar masses, that were 1-2 million years old only.
Additional Information
Object
Name(s): Sh2-170. Little Rosette Nebula
Type: Emission Nebula
RA: 00h 01m 29s
Dec: +64º 38’ 22”
Constellation: Cassiopeia
Size (arcmin): 20×20 arcmin
Magnitude: ND
Distance: 7,500 ly
Image
Date: 2022-11-22 to 2022-12-22
Location: Curiosity2 Observatory, New Mexico Skies, Mayhill, NM, USA
Size (arcmin): 30×29 arcmin
Telescope: 24” (61 cm) f/6.5 Reflector
Camera: FLI PL16803 (4096x4096pix)
Guiding: Astrodon MonsterMOAG off-axis guider
Total exposure: 23 hours (Ha: 12; OIII: 4h; SII: 4h; RGB: 3h)
Processing: CCDStack, PixInsight (one step) and Photoshop CC 2023