IC 59 and IC 63 – Reflection and Emission Nebulae
IC 59 and IC 63 are faint reflection and emission nebula located in the northern constellation of Cassiopeia. They are challenging objects to spot with telescopes for several reasons. Both nebulae are faint at apparent mag. +10, they have extremely low surface brightness and surround bright variable star gamma Cas (γ Cas). This remarkable star is partly unstable and is known as a “shell star.” It currently shines at mag. +2.15, making it the brightest star in Cassiopeia.
IC 59 and IC 63 are 610 light-years distant. From our perspective, IC 59 is located on the northern side of gamma Cas, and IC 63 is to the northeast. Spatially, the nebulae are roughly three light-years from gamma Cas, although IC 63 is slightly closer to the star. As a result, IC 63 appears mostly red due to a dominance of H-alpha emission, whereas IC 59 exhibits much less H-alpha emission and appears mostly blue due to dust reflected starlight.
