| "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 | |
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| Resolutions Available: 800x600 : 1600x1200 : 2400x1800 | |
| Object | NGC7293 |
| Comment |
NGC7293, the Helix Nebula 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 red outer structure consists of hydrogen and nitrogen atoms. Image is a [HA+L][HA+R]GB composite with an OIII overlay clipping mask. |
| Optics | Modified ASA N16 Astrograph F/3.5 (1420mm FL) |
| Camera | Apogee Aspen CG16070 - 1x1 bin (image scale: 1.07 arcsec/pix) |
| Mount | Software Bisque Paramount ME |
| Exposure | Total exposure time: 18.5 hours |
| Date | October 2015 |