photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Kfir Simon | all galleries >> Galleries >> planetary > NGC 5189
previous | next

NGC 5189

NGC 5189 (Gum 47, IC 4274, nicknamed Spiral Planetary Nebula) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Musca.
It was discovered by James Dunlop on 1 July 1826, who catalogued it as Δ252.
For many years, well into the 1960s, it was thought to be a bright emission nebula.
It was Karl Gordon Henize in 1967 who first described NGC 5189 as quasi-planetary based on its spectral emissions.
Seen through the telescope it seems to have an S shape, reminiscent of a barred spiral galaxy. The S shape, together with point-symmetric knots in the nebula, have for a long time hinted to astronomers that a binary central star is present.
Observations with the Southern African Large Telescope have finally found a white dwarf companion in a 4.04 day orbit around the rare low-mass Wolf-Rayet type central star of NGC 5189.
NGC 5189 is estimated to be 1,780 light years away from Earth. (WIKI)

12" F8 RIDK 305 Riccardi Dall -Kirkham Telescope
SBIG STF-8300 CCD Camera

Ha - RGB image
Ha for 60 min
RGB - 70 min each color

Total of 4:30 HRS

Imaged from Tivoli farm in Namibia May 2015

SBIG STF-8300 CCD Camera
full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
share
Type your message and click Add Comment
It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest.
Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name
Name Email
help private comment