This nebula is affectionately referred to (or is that "humbly" referred to) as Thor's Helmet. It is a "bubble" nebula (the helmet part) that is generated by the intense radiation of the center Wolf-Rayet star carving this bubble out of the local gas and dust. The "wings" on either side of the helmet complete Thor's iconic head piece.
The nebula is about 30 light years across and resides in the Canis Major constellation -- be sure to visit when you are in the area : )
This image is the "first light" of my new TEC 140 scope. Though I got the scope back in November, my imaging attempts were thwarted by weather until last week -- but it was worth the wait! I am very impressed with this scope.
For all you "tech heads", here are my imaging specs...
TEC 140 w/ field flattener
STL-11000M -20C
LRGB (210,30,45,60) RGB binned 2x2
CCD Stack, CS4
Welcome to my Astrophotography Blog!
This is a journal of my adventures in astrophotography -- taking images of distant celestial objects. Please look around and feel free to add your comments, questions, and critique to any of the entries by clicking the "comments" button on the bottom of each entry -- or just say "howdy!
And don't forget to click on the images for a larger view!
So choose either the Red pill or the Blue pill and follow me down the wormhole....
JOhn
Comanche Springs Star Party
Saturday, February 20, 2010
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2 comments:
Great target for your TEC140 first light!
Thanks, John. I've always loved the colors in this object -- you do not see too much "teal" in space : )
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