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