  We imaged the Lynds 723 dark nebula (L723) with the aim of studying the
morphology of the Herbig-Haro object HH 223 and other line-emission nebula
detected in the region. We obtained deep narrow-band images in the Halpha and
[SII] lines and in the continuum nearby Halpha of a field of ~5' of the L723
dark nebula centered on HH 223. The Halpha and [SII] images reveal the detailed
morphology of HH 223, unresolved in previous optical images. Both images show a
quite complex knotty, wiggling structure embedded in a low-emission nebula.
Comparison between the [SII] and Halpha fluxes of the knots are indicative of
variations in the excitation conditions through HH 223. In addition, several
other faint nebula are detected in Halpha a few arcmin to the SE and to the NW
of HH 223, all of them lying projected onto the east-west pair of lobes of the
quadrupolar CO outflow. Comparison between the Halpha and the continuum images
confirms the HH-like nature of the Vrba object V83, while the Vrba objects V84
and V85 are identified as faint field stars.
