My favorite deep space object is M45, the Pleiades star cluster, surrounded by the blue Merope reflection nebula. The Seven Sisters are instantly recognizable in the winter sky and make wonderful viewing through binoculars or a small telescope. 

Capturing the faint dust clouds surrounding the Pleiades has been a goal of mine since I began astrophotography. The dark skies of Starfront Observatory made it possible to capture this level of detail and color in only 8 hours, compared to the 19 hours required to get a similar image from my backyard.