Planetary nebula in Gemini
This nebula gets is nickname because through a telescope it resembles a human face surrounded by a circular ruffly collar. This image is not a very good one, but it does show a brighter central region surrounded by a dimmer and fuzzier outer layer. The central star is also very prominent in this image.
This planetary nebula has a high surface brightness and a distinct blue color that make it easy to spot in even small telescopes.
| Magnitude | 9.2 |
| Apparent Size | 0.9' |
| Distance (light yrs) | 4,200 |
| Right Ascension | 07:29.2 |
| Declination | +20 55 |
Image details: Exposure times of 40 minutes luminance, and 18 minutes each of red, green, and blue, taken with an SBIG ST-8300M imager and a 14" Meade LX850 telescope at f/6. Luminance images were a mixture of 1-minute and 3-minute exposures.
November 2017