NGC1499 - California Nebula HSO

The California Nebula (NGC 1499) is an emission nebula located in the constellation of Perseus. It is so named because it appears to resemble the outline of the state of California, USA in long exposure photographs. Because of its very low surface brightness, it is extremely difficult to observe visually. It can be observed with an H-Beta filter (isolated from the H-Beta line at 486 nm) in a rich-field telescope under a dark sky. It lies at a distance of about 1,000 light-years from Earth.