NGC 7023, known as the Iris Nebula, is an area of brownish dark dust in the Cepheus constellation - illuminated brilliantly in the centre by an intensely bright, blue young star SAO 19158. According to NASA, this area attracts study because of its unusual prevalence of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), complex molecules found on Earth during the incomplete combustion of wood fires.

My picture comprises 746 x 20" exposures (4 hours) at ISO 1600, imaged from Colchester, England, in August 2023 on a modified Nikon D750 DSLR, Sky-Watcher Explorer 150p, EQ5 Pro, via Stellarmate in Kstars/Ekos. Stacked in AstroPixelProcessor, cropped and adjusted in Photoshop and Lightroom.