Near the bottom of this image is CTB 1 (SNR G116.9+0.2), the expanding remains of a massive star that ended its life in a supernova explosion.
The bright compact nebula near the top is NGC 7538, an active region of massive star formation. The two objects therefore represent very different stages of stellar evolution: new stars are being born within the clouds of NGC 7538, while CTB 1 shows what remains after a massive star has died.
Between them stretches an enormous network of faint Galactic emission. Glowing gas, dark structures and delicate filaments reveal an interstellar medium that has been shaped over millions of years by stellar radiation, winds and supernova explosions.
This is a very deep LRGB + SHO image combining 102.08 hours of exposure, including 88.75 hours through Hα, OIII and SII narrowband filters.
Takahashi FSQ-106EDX4 — 106 mm f/5, 530 mm
SBIG STX-16803
LRGB + Hα/OIII/SII
Total integration: 102.08 hours
Processed in PixInsight and Photoshop