The Helix Nebula
The Helix Nebula (NGC7293) is a planetary nebula located in Aquarius, about 650 light-years from Earth. It showcases a unique “eye” shape which is often called the, “Eye of God” or “Eye of Sauron.” This planetary nebula features a blend of vibrant colors and intricate details. Its structure is the result of a dying star shedding its outer layers and illuminating the surrounding gas.
Specifications:
Designation: NGC7293, C63
Also Called: The Eye of God
Apparent Size: 17′
Magnitude (lower is brighter): 7.3
Distance from Earth: 650 LY
In the Dark Skies of Chile
The image above was taken in the Bortle 1 sky of Chile. I rented observation time from a Chile telescope to capture this HOO image. The amount of detail and faint dust that the large telescope and pitch black skies captures is amazing.
EQUIPMENT
Telescope: Planewave CDK24
Mount: Mathis MI-1000/1250
Camera: FLI PL 9000
Filters: Ha, SII, & OIII
ACQUISITION
Integration Time: 8 hours
RGB: 48 x 600sec
BIN: 1×1
Bortle Scale: 1
CALIBRATION
Darks: 10
Flats: 30
Dark Flats: 30
Offset/Bias: 30
The Aquarius Constellation
The Aquarius constellation is located in the southern celestial hemisphere and is one of the oldest known constellations. Its name, Aquarius, is derived from the Latin word for “water-bearer”.
The Aquarius constellation is home to several deep sky objects, including the Helix Nebula, the Saturn Nebula, and the Aquarius Dwarf Galaxy.
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*General information regarding constellations, galaxies, nebulae, and planets have been sourced from: AstroBackyard, VisibleDark, Wikipedia, EarthSky, and NASA.