Planetary Nebulae: Hunter Wilson

Jones-Emberson 1 (PK164+31.1) in Lynx

hwilson429@aol.com (Hunter Wilson) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

SBIG ST-4000XCM
16x15min
Darks/Flats/Bias Applied
Imager Temp -20C
Celestron 9.25 Reduced 0.63
30% Crop

Coordinates: 07h 57m 30s; +53º 25 ’ 30’’

Sky and Telescope Editor's Choice November 19, 2009

Jones-Emberson 1 (PK164+31.1) is a 14th magnitude planetary nebula in the constellation Lynx at a distance of 1600 light years. It is a larger planetary with low surface brightness. The 16.8-magnitude central star is very blue white dwarf.

This is 4 hours of data with my C9.25, and I believe this is at or near the limits of this setup's capability.

Discovered in 1939 by R. Jones and R. Emberson, it's "PK" designation comes from the names of
Czechoslovakian astronomers Perek and Kohoutek, who in 1967 created an extensive catalog of all of the planetary nebulas known in the Milky Way as of 1964. The numbers indicate the position of the object on the sky.

November 12, 2009

NGC 246 - "Skull Nebula" in Cetus

hwilson429@aol.com (Hunter Wilson) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

SBIG ST-4000XCM
7x10min
Darks/Flats/Bias Applied
Imager Temp -20C
Celestron 9.25 Reduced 0.63
Full Frame

Poor Transparency and Windy - Series Interrupted by Moonrise

NGC 246 (Caldwell 56) is a planetary nebula that lies 1600 light years away in the constellation Cetus. It's formation began thousands of years ago when the smaller, sunlike star in the central binary began shedding it's outer atmosphere on a journey towards a white dwarf. Since the double is not resolveable with this setup, it is not visible here, but the dying star can be seen in images from larger instruments. The white dwarf continues to evolve; In 1930, it was as bright as 9th magnitude. In 1969 it diminished to 11.2 and today it has faded to 12th magnitude.

November 6, 2009

NGC 7293 - The Helix Nebula in Aquarius

hwilson429@aol.com (Hunter Wilson) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

SBIG ST-4000XCM
5x900sec
Darks/Flats/Bias Applied
Imager Temp -20C
Celestron 9.25 Reduced 0.63
40% Crop

Sky and Telescope Online Gallery October 21, 2009

Short integration time, clouded out. Transparency fair.

This object seems to give me trouble. I can get a decent image of it, but not a really good image of it. The delicate tendrils that project into the center just don't want to show themselves. I think it has to do with my horizon and local conditions. Still, it's a vast improvement of my original image of this object from 2007.

The Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) spans about 2.5 light years and is about 650 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius. It is one of the closest planetary nebulae to earth and was discovered by Karl Ludwig Harding before 1824. It has a very similar appearance to the Ring Nebula. It is also similar in size, age, and physical characteristics to the Dumbbell Nebula, with the significant difference in appearance being a consequence of the relative proximity and more nearly equatorial viewing angle of the Dumbbell.

October 18, 2009

M27 - "Dumbell Nebula" in Vulpecula

hwilson429@aol.com (Hunter Wilson) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

SBIG ST-4000XCM
6x600sec
Darks/Flats/Bias Applied
Imager Temp -10C
APM/TMB 130/780
Field Flattener
Full Frame

Link to full resolution image

Taken widefield to accentuate the starfield as much as the nebula. This is one of my favorite objects, and I really prefer to show the beautiful starfield with it.

Clouds ruined the chance to get more subexposures.

M27 (NGC 6853), the "Dumbell Nebula" in Vulpecula is the first planetary nebula discovered and is a great example of a gaseous emission nebula that forms when a star begins to run out of fuel and expels it's outer layers (planetary nebula). The glow is from the intense emission of ultraviolet radiation from the central star exciting the surrounding gas. The central star, a white dwarf, is estimated to have a radius which is 0.055 solar radii which gives it a size larger than any other known white dwarf. The central star mass is estimated to be 0.56 solar mass, is quite bright at mag 13.5, and extremely hot at about 85,000 K (so the spectral type is given as O7 in the Sky Catalog 2000). K.M. Cudworth of the Yerkes Observatory found that it probably has a faint (mag 17) yellow companion at 6.5" separation.

M27 is 1,200 light-years distant and is only about 3000-4000 years old.

June 20, 2009

M27 - "Dumbell Nebula" in Vulpecula - Closeup View

hwilson429@aol.com (Hunter Wilson) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

SBIG ST-4000XCM
6x600sec
Darks/Flats/Bias Applied
Imager Temp -10C
APM/TMB 130/780
Field Flattener
50% Crop

A closer look, accentuating the nebula rather than the starfield for those that prefer it this way.

June 20, 2009

NGC 7008 "Fetus Nebula" in Cygnus

hwilson429@aol.com (Hunter Wilson) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

SBIG ST-4000XCM
17x600sec
Darks/Flats/Bias Applied
Imager Temp -20C
Celestron 9.25 Reduced 0.63
50% Crop

Astronomy Magazine Picture of the Day June 30, 2009

NGC 7008 (PK 93+5.2) is an unusual, colorful, and very beautiful planetary nebula residing about 2800 light years distant in the constellation of Cygnus. It spans 1.3x1 light year.

May 20, 2009

NGC 7008 "Fetus Nebula" in Cygnus - Closeup View

hwilson429@aol.com (Hunter Wilson) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

SBIG ST-4000XCM
17x600sec
Darks/Flats/Bias Applied
Imager Temp -20C
Celestron 9.25 Reduced 0.63
100% Crop

Closer version of NGC 7008

Astrophotogallery.org May, 2009 Medium Category Winner

Sky and Telescope Online Gallery April 1, 2009

May 20, 2009

Abell 39 in Hercules

hwilson429@aol.com (Hunter Wilson) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

SBIG ST-4000XCM
18x600sec
Darks/Flats/Bias Applied
Imager Temp -20C
APM/TMB 130/780 with Dedicated Field Flattener
Severe Crop (~200%)

Small Wonders: Hercules June, 2009 (Tom Trusock)

Anacortes Telescope and Wild Bird Picture of the Day April 5, 2009

Sky and Telescope Online Gallery April 1, 2009

Abell 39 (PK47+42.1), a member of George Abell's Catalog of Planetery Nebulae is a low surface brightness planetary nebula in the constellation Hercules.

The most sperical planetary nebula, it is almost a perfect sphere - also one of the largest known spheres with a radius of about 2.5 light-years.

Distant spiral PGC 58246 can be seen above and left of the nebula.

March 30, 2009

M57 in Lyra

hwilson429@aol.com (Hunter Wilson) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Canon 350D Hap Griffin Baader Mod
20x120sec at iso 1600
30 Darks/Flats/Bias
Celestron 9.25 reduced 0.63

65% Crop

M57 (NGC 6720) in Lyra, located 2300 light years from earth is the prototype planetary nebula. Evidence indicates that it is actually a ring and not a shell or sphere viewed on an angle. The nebula has been expanding for only an estimated 1600 years.

The central star is a planet-sized white dwarf star, of about 15th magnitude. It is the remainder of a sunlike star, which has blown away its outer envelopes. Now over 100,000 K hot, it will soon start to cool down, shine as a white dwarf star for several billions of years, and then eventually end as a cold Black Dwarf.

March 20. 2009

M76 in Perseus

hwilson429@aol.com (Hunter Wilson) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Canon 350D Hap Griffin Baader Mod
Celestron 9.25 with 0.63 reducer
27x180sec at iso 1600
30 Darks/Flats/Bias

Astronomy Magazine Picture of the Day December 19, 2007

Astronomy Magazine weekly newsletter 12-21-07

Planetary Nebula Messier 76 (M76, NGC 650/651) is one of the faintest Messier Objects, and one of only four planetary nebulae in Messier's catalog, situated in the Eastern part of constellation Perseus.

M76's distance is not well known and estimates range from 1,700 to 15,000 light years and consequently its dimensions are also not well known. The nebula shines at an apparent magnitude of +10.1 with a central star of magnitude +16.6. This star, whose expanding outer layers form the present nebula, has a surface temperature of 60,000 kelvins.

The little Dumbbell Nebula got its name from its resemblance to the Dumbbell Nebula (M27) in Vulpecula. It was originally thought to consist of two separate nebulae and was thus given two catalog numbers in the NGC, 650 and 651. It is one of the faintest and hardest to see objects in Messier's list.

It also is known under the names Cork Nebula, Butterfly Nebula, and Barbell Nebula.

November 1, 2007

NGC 7048 in Cygnus

hwilson429@aol.com (Hunter Wilson) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Canon 30D Unmodified
Astronomik CLS filter
Celestron 8 with 0.63 reducer
11x300sec at iso 1600
30 Darks/Flats/Bias

NGC 7048 is a planetary nebula in Cygnus that is about 60 x 62 arc-seconds in diameter and is 6200 light years from earth.

July 6, 2007

NGC 7048 in Cygnus Closeup View

hwilson429@aol.com (Hunter Wilson) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Canon 30D Unmodified
Astronomik CLS filter
Celestron 8 with 0.63 reducer
11x300sec at iso 1600
30 Darks/Flats/Bias

NGC 6781 in Aquila

hwilson429@aol.com (Hunter Wilson) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Canon 30D Unmodified
24x240sec at iso 1600
30 Darks/Flats/Bias
Astronomik CLS filter custom WB
Celestron 8 at 1260mm

Astronomy Magazine Picture of the Day July 13, 2007

NGC 6781 is a very beautiful planetary nebula containing a 16.8 magnitude central white dwarf. Much overlooked because of the wealth of bright objects in the vicinity, it is well worth the effort to image. The globe of the nebula is 2 light years wide.

May 23, 2007

NGC 6781 Closeup View

hwilson429@aol.com (Hunter Wilson) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Canon 30D Unmodified
24x240sec at iso 1600
30 Darks/Flats/Bias
Astronomik CLS filter custom WB
Celestron 8 at 1260mm

Astronomy Magazine Picture of the Day July 13, 2007

May 23, 2007

NGC 6543 "Cat's Eye" Nebula in Draco

hwilson429@aol.com (Hunter Wilson) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Canon 30D Unmodified
11x240sec at iso 1600
30 Darks/Flats/Bias
Astronomik CLS filter, custom WB
Celestron 8 at 1260mm

NGC 6543, the "Cat's Eye Nebula" is one of the most structurally complex nebulae known, as discovered by photos from the Hubble Space Telescope. The bright core measuring 20 arc seconds is easily visible and sometimes is mistaken for a star, however the extended halo ejected during the central star's red giant phase is very difficult to detect and extends over 386 arc seconds (6.4 arc minutes). Part of that halo can be seen above the central core in this photograph and actually has it's own designation, IC 4677.

NGC 6552, a 14th magnitude galaxy can be seen at the bottom of the field.

May 23, 2007

NGC 6543 Closeup View

hwilson429@aol.com (Hunter Wilson) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A very small object and cropping destroys detail, but here's a closer look

Canon 30D Unmodified
11x240sec at iso 1600
30 Darks/Flats/Bias
Astronomik CLS filter, custom WB
Celestron 8 at 1260mm

M57 in Lyra Widefield View

hwilson429@aol.com (Hunter Wilson) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Canon 30D Unmodified with Astronomik CLS filter
9x300sec at iso 1600
30 Darks/Flats/Bias
Orion ED80 with WO 0.8 reducer/flattener

A widefield view of M57 in Lyra. It is pretty, though.

The eclipsing variable Sheliak is present at the right mid part of the frame. Located nearly 900 light years away, it actually radiates the visible light of 2000 Suns. The two stars, a bright bluish hotter one with a temperature of some 13,000 degrees Kelvin orbiting a dimmer white cooler one (though one still much brighter than the Sun) with a temperature closer to 8000 Kelvin. The plane of the orbit is pitched so that during an orbital period of 12.9 days each star gets in the way of the other, the combined light of the system at minimum alternating between 30% and half of normal every 6.5 days. Sheliak's variations are easily visible to the naked eye by comparing the star to others in the constellation.

June 12, 2007

M97 "Owl Nebula" in Ursa Major

hwilson429@aol.com (Hunter Wilson) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Canon 30D Unmodified
25x240sec at iso 1600
30 Darks/Flat/Bias
Astronomik CLS filter
C8 at 1260mm

Yahoo Digital Astro Group May, 2007 Monthly Challenge Honorable Mention

M97 "Owl Nebula". A hauntingly beautiful planetary nebula in Ursa Major. Regarded as one of the more complex planetary nebula, it is actually a dual shell of 0.15 solar mass surrounding a 16th magnitude star of 0.7 solar mass at it's center.

M97 processed with a post-camera white balance adjustment in DeepSkyStacker in order to compensate for the blue washout from the Astronomik CLS filter. While it would have been best to use a custom white balance at the time of imaging, this is a good compromise. Now I have a custom white balance that I will use with the Astronomik filter from now on.

5-12-2007