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#astrophotography

95 posts57 participants4 posts today
grobi

Halo of the Cat's Eye
* Image Credit & Copyright: Taavi Niittee (Tõrva Astronomy Club)
app.astrobin.com/u/Astronoomia

Explanation:
What created the unusual halo around the Cat's Eye Nebula? No one is sure. What is sure is that the Cat's Eye Nebula (NGC 6543) is one of the best known planetary nebulae on the sky. Although haunting symmetries are seen in the bright central region, this image was taken to feature its intricately structured outer halo, which spans over three light-years across. Planetary nebulae have long been appreciated as a final phase in the life of a Sun-like star. Only recently however, have some planetaries been found to have expansive halos, likely formed from material shrugged off during earlier puzzling episodes in the star's evolution. While the planetary nebula phase is thought to last for around 10,000 years, astronomers estimate the age of the outer filamentary portions of the Cat's Eye Nebula's halo to be 50,000 to 90,000 years.

astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/p
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetar
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat%27s_
app.astrobin.com/u/Astronoomia
apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220710.ht
youtube.com/watch?v=tw0VJ1K93P
apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240107.ht
apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140522.ht
aanda.org/articles/aa/full_htm

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellar_
science.nasa.gov/universe/star
youtube.com/watch?v=Mj06h8BeeO
spaceplace.nasa.gov/light-year

2025 April 16 A dark starfield is dominated by a green nebula with intricate filaments all around. At the center is a bright glow surrounding a central star. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. Halo of the Cat's Eye * Image Credit & Copyright: Taavi Niittee (Tõrva Astronomy Club) Explanation: What created the unusual halo around the Cat's Eye Nebula? No one is sure. What is sure is that the Cat's Eye Nebula (NGC 6543) is one of the best known planetary nebulae on the sky. Although haunting symmetries are seen in the bright central region, this image was taken to feature its intricately structured outer halo, which spans over three light-years across. Planetary nebulae have long been appreciated as a final phase in the life of a Sun-like star. Only recently however, have some planetaries been found to have expansive halos, likely formed from material shrugged off during earlier puzzling episodes in the star's evolution. While the planetary nebula phase is thought to last for around 10,000 years, astronomers estimate the age of the outer filamentary portions of the Cat's Eye Nebula's halo to be 50,000 to 90,000 years. Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply. NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices; A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U.
ALT
#space#nebula#halo
*
ArvitZ

Almost the Center of our Galaxy
-----------------------------------------------

I really wanted to get as close as possible to the milky way center as possible for my latitude.
This was as close to the horizon as possible before dawn.
It was worth the struggle of waking up at 3:30 AM at this remote location, because I got to test my new portable wide-angle setup for the first time :)

All details: app.astrobin.com/u/Kassar?i=8h

Astrophoto of the center region of our milky way
ALT
#astrophotography#astrodon#photography
Replied to grobi
grobi

Dew Nebula (NGC 1514)

History

The object was discovered by William Herschel on 13 November 1790 and cataloged as IV 69. It marked a turning point in his astronomical thinking, because until then astronomers believed that all nebulae were composed of faint single stars that could not be resolved with the devices of the time. Herschel described NGC 1514 as follows: «A most singular phenomenon; A star 8m with a faint luminous atmosphere of a circular form, about 3' in diameter. The star is perfectly in the centre, and the atmosphere is so diluted, faint and equal throughout, that there can be no surmise of its consisting of stars, nor can there be a doubt of the evident connection between the atmosphere and the star. Another star, not much less in brightness, an in the same field with the above, ws perfectly free from any such appearance.» ...

...Finder Chart

NGC 1514 is located in the constellation Taurus on the border with the constellation Perseus. If you extend the connection between the two stars ο - ζ Persei by about 1.5 times, the PN should already be visible in a large field eyepiece. If you don't know what kind of sight to expect at NGC 1514, the search for this PN can sometimes be quite lengthy, even though the nebula is in a familiar area of the sky. Without the O-III filter, the nebula around the bright central star looks as if the eyepiece were slightly fogged up. Hence it was nicknamed «Dew Nebula». If there is no O-III filter available, you should primarily look out for the distinctive star pattern in the 1° closeup. Of the three stars north/south direction, the middle central star is NGC 1514.

see more:
deepskycorner.ch/obj/ngc1514.e

#space#galaxy#nebula
Replied to grobi
grobi

James Webb Telescope Reveals Enigmatic Rings of Planetary Nebula NGC 1514

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has once again opened new windows into the cosmos, providing astronomers with unprecedented observations of a planetary nebula, NGC 1514, also known as the Crystal Ball Nebula. This remarkable nebula, located approximately 1,500 light years away from Earth, has intrigued scientists for years due to its distinct and puzzling features. New observations from JWST, published on February 28 on the arXiv pre-print server, offer a fresh perspective on the nebula’s enigmatic rings, which have now become one of the most intriguing features of this nebula.
What is a Planetary Nebula?

Before diving into the specifics of NGC 1514, it’s essential to understand what a planetary nebula (PN) is. These cosmic structures are not actually planets but rather expanding shells of gas and dust expelled by stars during their evolution. As stars like our Sun transition from the main sequence stage of their life cycle to that of a red giant or white dwarf, they shed their outer layers into space, creating the beautiful, colorful clouds of gas and dust that we call planetary nebulae.

Although planetary nebulae are relatively rare in the universe, they play a crucial role in the study of the chemical evolution of stars and galaxies. As stars age and expel their outer layers, they enrich the surrounding interstellar medium with essential elements, like carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen, which are later recycled into new generations of stars and planets. Understanding planetary nebulae is, therefore, key to understanding the life cycles of stars and the broader evolution of galaxies. ...
sciencenewstoday.org/james-web

Reference: Michael E. Ressler et al, JWST/MIRI Study of the Enigmatic Mid-Infrared Rings in the Planetary Nebula NGC 1514, arXiv (2025). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2502.21281

#space#galaxy#nebula
*
grobi

Planetary Nebula NGC 1514 from Webb
* Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, M. E. Ressler (JPL) et al.; Processing: Judy Schmidt
science.nasa.gov/people-of-nas
science.jpl.nasa.gov/people/re
science.jpl.nasa.gov/
asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/
esa.int/
nasa.gov/

Explanation:
What happens when a star runs out of nuclear fuel? For stars like our Sun, the center condenses into a white dwarf while the outer atmosphere is expelled into space to appear as a planetary nebula. The expelled outer atmosphere of planetary nebula NGC 1514 appears to be a jumble of bubbles -- when seen in visible light. But the view from the James Webb Space Telescope in infrared, as featured here, confirms a different story: in this light the nebula shows a distinct hourglass shape, which is interpreted as a cylinder seen along a diagonal. If you look closely at the center of the nebula, you can also see a bright central star that is part of a binary system. More observations might better reveal how this nebula is evolving and how the central stars are working together to produce the interesting cylinder and bubbles observed.
flickr.com/photos/geckzilla/54
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_1514
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_1514
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetar
apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190929.ht
ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010

apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211226.ht
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_
apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap000910.ht
apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap970219.ht
ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2016
content.cld.iop.org/journals/1
geogebra.org/m/sdFGxeYM

apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250415.ht

2025 April 15 A starfield is dominated by a multi-colored figure 8 in the middle, titled on a diagonal. The outsides of the nebula appear light colored, while the inside shows complex structure tinted red and purple. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. Planetary Nebula NGC 1514 from Webb * Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, M. E. Ressler (JPL) et al.; Processing: Judy Schmidt Explanation: What happens when a star runs out of nuclear fuel? For stars like our Sun, the center condenses into a white dwarf while the outer atmosphere is expelled into space to appear as a planetary nebula. The expelled outer atmosphere of planetary nebula NGC 1514 appears to be a jumble of bubbles -- when seen in visible light. But the view from the James Webb Space Telescope in infrared, as featured here, confirms a different story: in this light the nebula shows a distinct hourglass shape, which is interpreted as a cylinder seen along a diagonal. If you look closely at the center of the nebula, you can also see a bright central star that is part of a binary system. More observations might better reveal how this nebula is evolving and how the central stars are working together to produce the interesting cylinder and bubbles observed. Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply. NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices; A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U.
ALT
#space#galaxy#nebula
Cutterpillow

Behold the Pink Moon.

You’ll note, of course, that it’s not pink. “Pink” is just the name for the moon in April. This one I captured with the ASI678MC. The full disk fits pretty nicely with the Askar FRA400 + 678, though I do need to worry more about it drifting out of frame sooner.

Best 35% of 500 images, 2x drizzle, stacked & sharpened in PlanetarySystemStacker, edited in Affinity Photo (levels, curves, etc.).

The full “Pink Moon”. “Pink” does not describe the color, it is merely the name of the full moon for April. The moon is light and dark gray surrounded by a dark black background.
ALT
#astrophotography#space#pinkmoon
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