The Ghost Nebula IC63 on Aluminum Dibond
IC 63 · Fine Art Print Hahnemühle · Euganean Hills
- Museum-grade Aluminum Dibond
- Made by WhiteWall in Germany
- 100% guaranteed if damaged
- 75+ year archival quality
The Story
About 600 light-years from us, in the constellation Cassiopeia, there is a ghost of gas slowly evaporating. This is IC 63, a nebula that exists only because Gamma Cassiopeiae — the bright white star just above the center of the image — is hitting it from 4 light-years away with ultraviolet radiation intense enough to strip electrons from hydrogen atoms. That process is what generates the deep red visible in the filaments: hydrogen ionization, the same mechanism that lights up the most famous nebulae, but caught here in a small, almost intimate subject. Astronomers estimate the nebula is losing matter at a rate that will eventually, on cosmic timescales, dissolve it entirely.
What struck me while processing this image was its visual fragility. Most nebulae have a massive, declared presence. IC 63 is almost shy instead — a veil, a shape that suggests more than it shows. I worked the image with a narrowband filter to isolate the red of hydrogen and keep the black of the sky truly black, because it is exactly the contrast between the red ghost and the surrounding darkness that tells the slow-motion duel between the nebula and the star that is killing it. A scene recorded by light that traveled six centuries to reach the sensor of my camera.
I chose to add it to the catalog because on Baryta cotton paper the pale pinks and deep reds of the nebula find a gradation that the backlit screen flattens out. The black of the surrounding sky stops being "digital dark" and becomes a material depth. This is an image that rewards patient looking: seen for two seconds it doesn't say much, seen hanging on a wall it asks you to come back and look again.
Material
Aluminium Dibond — Fuji Crystal Archive · Glossy
A 3 mm aluminium composite panel: two white platinum-coated aluminium sheets enclosing a polyethylene core. The image is laser-exposed onto Fuji Crystal Archive photographic paper, developed with traditional chemistry, then bonded to the panel surface and sealed with a UV-protective glossy laminate. Exceptional colour saturation and contrast — no glass, no frame.
Ready to hang out of the box: a continuous aluminium rail is pre-installed on the back. Panel weight: 1.2 kg (50×70 cm), 3.0 kg (70×100 cm), 4.5 kg (100×150 cm). Archival colour stability rated at 75 years.
Everything you need to know
How it ships, and how long it takes
Production at WhiteWall, Germany, typically completes within 24 hours of your order. Shipping then depends on your destination:
| European Union | 7–10 business days |
| Switzerland | ~12 business days |
| United Kingdom | ~14 business days |
| United States | 2–4 weeks (variable due to customs) |
| Asia & Pacific | 3–5 weeks |
Customs & duties for non-EU orders
For orders shipped outside the European Union, local customs duties, import taxes, and VAT are collected by the carrier upon delivery and paid directly by the recipient.
| UK | VAT 20% + ~£10–20 handling |
| USA | variable tariffs + state sales tax |
| Switzerland | VAT 8.1% + ~CHF 20–30 |
Packaging and what to do on arrival
Fine Art Prints are rolled and shipped in a reinforced acid-free rigid tube with sealed cap. Open the parcel within 48 hours of delivery and check integrity. Handle the print only at the edges, with clean hands.
If damaged in transit: send 3–4 photos to support@sideris.art within 72 hours — free replacement, no return needed.
Print vs Dibond — what's the difference?
Fine Art Print on Hahnemühle Baryta is the gallery-classic option: warm, tactile, framed with glass and acid-free mat. Best for traditional and editorial interiors.
Aluminium Dibond is a 3 mm composite panel with direct HD print, ready to hang with no frame. Best for contemporary, statement-wall interiors with high colour saturation.
How to frame and hang the print
For best results, use:
- An acid-free mat (2–4 mm thick, 5–8 cm margin around the print)
- Anti-reflective or museum glass (filters UV, extends colour life)
- Wood or aluminium frame, internally sized to print + mat
Pre-framed options (Black, Silver, White aluminium) are available above — choose your preferred frame under "Finish".
Returns & the 14-day right of withdrawal
Under EU law, you have the right to return your order within 14 days of delivery, no reason required. Conditions:
- The print must be intact, in its original packaging
- Contact us at support@sideris.art with your order number
- Return shipping is at your expense — tracked courier recommended
- 100% refund of product price within 14 days of receiving the return
For non-EU orders: customs duties already paid are generally not refundable by local tax authorities.
For defective prints: free replacement applies regardless — see "Packaging and arrival" above.
Accepted Payments
