| "The sky is the ultimate art gallery just above us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 82) |
Astrophotography by Jason Jennings |
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| Nebulae :: NGC7293 - Hubble Palette | |
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| Resolutions Available: 780x780 : 1560x1560 | |
| Object | NGC7293 - Helix Nebula |
| Comment |
The Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) resides in the constellation Aquarius and is dubbed the "Eye of God". It is one of the closest of all planetary nebula at a distance of approximately 450 light years and is about half the size of a full moon. Despite its size, the light is spread over a large area making it a difficult object for visual observation. The nebula displays different ionisation levels of ejected matter from the dying central star. The inner blue hue indicates the presence of excited oxygen atoms, while the vibrant outer structure consists of hydrogen and nitrogen atoms. This image a SII:Ha:OIII composite mapped as RGB respectively. Data acquired by Alvin Jeng of LightBuckets. |
| Optics | RCOS 24" F/8 (4876 mm FL) |
| Camera | Apogee Alta U42 - 1x1 bin (image scale .57 arcsec/pix) |
| Mount | RCOS Professional Series Equatorial Fork |
| Exposure | Total exposure time: 12.8 hours (SII:290min,Ha:200min,OIII:280min) |
| Date | October, November 2009 |