NGC2359

Thor's Helmet Nebula

Emission Nebula in Canis Major

Uploaded 3/28/2001

This object is known as a Wolf-Rayet Bubble, and the lower filamentary sphere marks the expanding envelope of a bubble of gas being pushed outward at a high velocity by a star in its interior - a Wolf-Rayet star, which has an unusually high stellar wind. The emmission line components of the bubble give it an erie blue coloration, while the attending emmission nebula at top is red. Seeing as usual near the horizon is was very choppy, with enlarged star images, approaching 5 arcseconds in size.

Instrument:  12.5" f/5 Home made Newtonian
CCD Camera:  SBIG237
Exposure:  LRGB = 60:20:10:12 (RGB Binned 2x2)
Filters:  RGB Tricolor
Location:  Payson, Arizona
Elevation:  5150 ft.
Sky:  Seeing 3/10, Transparency 5/10
Outside Temperature:  45 F
CCD Temperature:  -15 F
Processing:  Maxim DL, Photoshop, PW Pro.

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