"This is an unusual annular planetary nebula in Norma. The nebula itself appears quite small at a
little over an arc minute in diameter, while its central star is a magnitude 14 white dwarf. This
object is unusual because those planetaries that are not bipolar are more or less spherical shells
of material thrown off by the central star as it undergoes an internal rearrangement. We often see
them as thick annuli because we look through a greater thickness at the edge of the shell. However,
Shapley 1 seems to be a true torus, a doughnut-shaped ring of material that we happen to see face-on
around the central star. Sp-1 is about 1000 light years distant." - Text © 1995-2010, Australian
Astronomical Observatory

Orion Optics UK AG12 F3.8
Starlightxpress SXVF-H694, SX USB CFW, SX OAG unit + Atlas Focuser
HaOIIIRGB = 13hrs 15hrs 1.5hrs 1.5hrs 1.5hrs = 32.5hrs total exposure (bin 1X1)
Using Astronomik 6nm Narrowband filters and RGB Deep Sky filters
-20C chip temp, flats used but no dark frames were used.
Focal length 1120mm
Image scale 0.84"/pix
Guide Camera: Starlightxpress Lodestar

Comments
Taken over 5 nights - 21, 22, 28, 31 May & 1 June, some moon, average to good seeing.

Equipment setup:

http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/sxvrh694_gear

Some links to equipment used to take this image:

Orion Optics UK

http://www.orionoptics.co.uk/

StarlightXpress CCD Cameras and imaging equipment

http://www.sxccd.com/products

Finger Lakes Instrumentation CCD cameras:

http://www.flicamera.com/

Astro Shop (Aus)

http://www.astroshop.com.au/

Astro-Elecronic FS2 scope GOTO controller:

http://www.astro-electronic.de/

Gerd Neumann and Astronomik filters:

http://www.astronomik.com/en/home

http://www.gerdneumann.net/

MSB Software & Astroart 6

http://www.msb-astroart.com/

Catseye Collimation

http://www.catseyecollimation.com/

STAR Atlas:PRO planetarium software:

http://www.staratlaspro.com/