C2 — Bow-Tie Nebula
Planetary Nebula in Cepheus
About
A shell of gas thrown off by a dying star in Cepheus, about 5,300 light-years away. The star at its centre is a hot, carbon-rich type, and the glow should fade within roughly 30,000 years.
Imaging tips
- Only about 38″ × 35″, so it is too small to frame: use a long focal length and a fine pixel scale. One imager used a 14-inch f/11 at 0.4″ per pixel.
- A planetary nebula suits narrowband; one image blended Hα data into the red channel and OIII into green and blue, over about 8.5 hours.
- That image used 5-minute subs on a 14-inch f/11 at 0.4″ per pixel.
- Best around September and October; it peaks near 68° from 50°N.
Facts
- Size
- 1′
- Magnitude
- 12.4
- Coordinates
- RA 0h 13.0m, Dec +72° 31′
- Framing, APS-C
- longer than 4000 mm
- Framing, full frame
- longer than 4000 mm
- Best months
- Sep, Oct
- Peak altitude
- 68° from 50°N, 53° from 35°N