NEBULAE
by members of the Wells & Mendip Astronomers
Nebulae are produced by gas and dust lying near the hottest stars. Dust can reflect the starlight producing a reflection nebula, or it can hide the light from stars to form a dark nebula. Gas fluoresces due to its high temperature or by excitation in the intense UV light from the star, producing an emission nebula. The origin of the gas gives rise to some specific types of emission nebulae such as planetary nebulae (gas thrown off by dying, lower mass stars exposing a hot white dwarf) and supernova remnants (rapidly expanding hot gas ejected by a supernova explosion). Star-forming regions are frequently visible as large diffuse nebulae containing both gas and dust.
Contributors:
Hugh Allen (200mm Meade LX90 telescope, Meade DSI II colour camera. Spectra: Alpy 600 spectroscope and Atik 314L camera)
Richard Hook (100mm Skywatcher Esprit telescope, Nikon D3200 camera)
Ian Humphreys (Televue NP101mm and 405mm Orion Optics telescopes, Canon 1100D and Atik 11000 Mono (LRGB filters) cameras
Nick Perkins (William Optics RedCat51 Triplet Apochromatic Refractor, ZWO ASI1600MM Pro camera + 7nm Narrowband Filters)
Pete Richardson (William Optics ZS80mm APO telescope, QSI683WSG camera)
Fred and Ed Vanner (Sky-Watcher Skymax 150 Pro or Esprit 80ED Pro telescope, ZWO ASI183MC or MM camera)
Send contributions to: [email protected] or [email protected]
Hugh Allen (200mm Meade LX90 telescope, Meade DSI II colour camera. Spectra: Alpy 600 spectroscope and Atik 314L camera)
Richard Hook (100mm Skywatcher Esprit telescope, Nikon D3200 camera)
Ian Humphreys (Televue NP101mm and 405mm Orion Optics telescopes, Canon 1100D and Atik 11000 Mono (LRGB filters) cameras
Nick Perkins (William Optics RedCat51 Triplet Apochromatic Refractor, ZWO ASI1600MM Pro camera + 7nm Narrowband Filters)
Pete Richardson (William Optics ZS80mm APO telescope, QSI683WSG camera)
Fred and Ed Vanner (Sky-Watcher Skymax 150 Pro or Esprit 80ED Pro telescope, ZWO ASI183MC or MM camera)
Send contributions to: [email protected] or [email protected]
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M1 Crab Nebula (supernova remnant, distance approx. 6500 ly) |
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M8 Lagoon Nebula (star forming region, distance 4100 ly) |
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M16
Eagle Nebula (open cluster and star forming region, distance 5700 ly) |
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M17 Swan Nebula (star forming region, distance approx. 5500 ly) |
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M20 Triffid Nebula (star forming region, distance 4100 ly) |
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M27 Dumbbell Planetary Nebula (distance approx. 1300 ly) |
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M42 Orion Nebula (diffuse nebula and star forming region, distance 1344 ly) |
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M43 Star-forming nebula (above Orion Nebula, distance 1600 ly) |
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M57 The Ring Nebula (planetary nebula, distance 2570 ly) |
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M78 Reflection nebula (distance 1350 ly) |
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M97 The Owl Nebula (planetary nebula, distance 2000 ly) |
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Caldwell 49
Rosette Nebula, an emission nebula illuminated by the hottest stars in the associated open cluster NGC 2244 (distance 5200 ly) |
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NGC 1499 California Nebula |
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NGC2024 Flame Nebula (emission nebula crossed by dark dust lanes) with the Horsehead Nebula and the bright star Alnitak, the leftmost star in Orion's Belt |
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NGC 6888
The Crescent Nebula (emission nebula formed around the Wolf-Rayet star WR136) |
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NGC 6960 Witch's Broom Nebula (supernova remnant) |
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NGC7000 North America Nebula (emission nebula) |
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NGC7023
Iris Nebula (reflection nebula from the light of the central Herbig Ae/Be protostar HD 200775) |
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IC 405 Flaming Star Nebula |
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IC 1805 Heart Nebula |
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IC 1848 Soul Nebula |
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Sh 2-103 Cygnus loop (supernova remnant) |
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