Thor's Helmet

Image information:

Date: 03/14/2010
Equipment: SBIG ST2000XM with CFW10 and Astrodon I series Gen II LRGB filter set through WO ZS105ED telescope on Losmandy GM8 mount. WO ZS105ED working at f7 through IDAS LPS filter.
Image type: LRGB through IDAS LPS filter.
Exposure time: 6X12min Luminance binned 1X1, RG&B 6X6min each binned 2X2
Comment:  

Object information:

Object designations:

Thor's Helmet, NGC2359
Object type:
Emission nebula
Object size:
8' X 8'
Constellation: Canis Major
Comment:

NGC2359 is an emission nebula, called Thor's helmet because of its looks. In reality this nebula is shaped like a bubble surrounding central Wolf-Rayet star. Wolf-Rayet stars are extremely hot and massive stars in their final stage of life. Radiation from the central star causes the surrounding gas to glow and oxygen atoms in that gas are responsible for the nebula's emerald color. Winds of material blown out from the central star interacting with surrounding molecular cloud give the nebula its characteristic shape.

NGC2359 is 15000 ly distant and its diameter is some 30 ly.

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List of related images:

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