| "The sky is the ultimate art gallery just above us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 82) |
Astrophotography by Jason Jennings |
| << Back to Gallery | |
|---|---|
| Nebulae :: M57 - Wide Field | |
|
|
|
| Object | M57 - The Ring Nebula |
| Comment |
The planetary nebula M57 (Ring Nebula), is located in the constellation Lyra and situated between the stars Beta and Gamma Lyrae. The nebula is formed by the dying stages of a star. When a star's core fusion diminishes, the forces of gravity take hold changing the star's structure. Gravity causes the external structure to collapse inwards, causing the internal structure to become condensed and extremely hot. The intense build up of pressure results in an external shell explosion which is forced away. The stellar wind causes the surrounding gases to ionize producing vibrant colours. The Ring Nebula is about 2,000 light-years away and has a diameter of about one light-year. This image is an RRVB composite using photometry filters. |
| Optics | Takahashi Mewlon 300 F/11.9 (FL 3572mm) |
| Camera | FLI Dream Machine 1x1 bin (image scale: 1.38 arcsec/pix) |
| Mount | Paramount GT1100s |
| Exposure | Total exposure time: 1 hour (R:20min,V:20min,B:20min) |
| Date | 05/08/2007 |