Saturday October 26, 2024

The Helix Nebula (all night)

The spectacular Helix Nebula (aka NGC 7293) in southern Aquarius was omitted from Charles Messier's list, but that oversight was remedied when Sir Patrick Moore included it on his Caldwell List. This planetary nebula, which
culminates due south in mid-evening during late October, is one of the closest planetaries to our sun (only 650 light-years distant), giving it it an especially large 25x13 arc-minutes apparent diameter. The somewhat faint, magnitude 6.5 object is best viewed in a dark, moonless sky using low magnification and an OIII or UHC filter. In images, its colorful, ringed structure will appear.


(Data courtesy of Starry Night)
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* Origin: CJ's Place, Orange City FL > cjsplace.thruhere.net (21:2/156)