Abyss Within the Flame, Flying Bat and Squid Nebulae

Abyss Within the Flame - Flying Bat & Squid Nebula captures one of the most elusive structures in the night sky, the Squid Nebula (OU4), concealed within the turbulent glow of the Flying Bat Nebula (Sh2-129). Like a giant squid hidden deep within Earth’s oceans, its presence is not immediately apparent, emerging only through patience, precision, and restraint. The extreme contrast between the crimson emission cloud and the faint oxygen-rich jets creates a striking visual tension: flame and abyss, intensity and silence, expansion and emptiness. 

Only recently discovered in 2010, OU4 (the Squid) is extraordinarily faint and difficult to record, especially from light-polluted suburban skies. Pulling it from the background requires long extremely long exposure and careful filtering, work measured not just in hours but in seasons. Built from about 25 hours of narrowband imaging gathered over multiple years, this portrait reveals extraordinary depth and subtle structure, completely invisible to the eye.

Presented in a starless rendering, the image removes the surrounding starfield to reveal the nebulae’s true structure: sweeping arcs and layered filaments in Sh2-129, and the delicate, otherworldly silhouette of OU4 suspended within it. What remains is pure form, an abstract composition shaped by ionized gas, energetic radiation, and time.

This is not a single-night capture, but a multi-year accumulation of faint light, drawn out of bright suburban skies to reveal objects that most observers never see - let alone photograph.

Each print is produced locally in Michigan in collaboration with a professional fine art printer using archival materials to ensure exceptional detail, depth and longevity. Available on premium metallic paper for enhanced luminosity, or as a museum quality ready-to-hang metal print. An optional CODA float mount provides a clean, frameless display that allows the artwork to visually float off the wall.