NGC 1360 - AKA THE ROBING EGG

 PLANETARY NEBULA IN FORNAX (THE HEAT GENERATOR)

(Image centered at: ra 03h:33 m / dec - 25º 52')

ANNOTATED IMAGE 100% RESOLUTION

DISTANT GALAXIES 100% RESOLUTION

November 2025, Observatorio Cielos Albertnos, Buenos Aires, Argentina

DATA

TYPE: Planetary Nebula

APPARENT DIAMETER:  11 x 7.5 arc minutes

APPARENT MAGNITUDE (V): 9.4

DISTANCE: 1174 to 11794 light years

IMAGE INFORMATION

INSTRUMENT: Orion Optics UK 6" Newtonian with Ultra Grade Optics working at f 4.5

CAMERA: QSI 583WS Mono Camera

MOUNT: SKY WATCHER NEQ6 Guided off axis with SX Lodestar Mono Camera 

FILTERS: Baader LRGB Set & Antlia Ha 3nm O3 3nm

SKY CONDITIONS: Bortle 3 skies / Narrow band filters from Bortle 9

OBJECT DESCRIPTION AND IMAGE SESSION

NGC 1360, also known as the Robin's Egg Nebula because its color and shape, is a planetary nebula in the constellation of Fornax. It was identified as a planetary nebula due to its strong radiation in the OIII (oxygen) bands. It is believed that Reddish matter, have been ejected from the original star before its final collapse. The central star of the system was suspected to be binary since 1977, but was only confirmed in 2017. The central source consists of a low-mass O-type star and a white dwarf.

The cosmic cloud spans about 3 light-years, nestled securely within the boundaries of the southern constellation of the Furnace (Fornax). NGC 1360 current stage corresponds to a brief and final phase in the evolution of an aging star. In fact, visible at the center of the nebula, we have the central star which is less massive but much hotter than our Sun. Their intense and otherwise invisible ultraviolet radiation has stripped away electrons from the atoms in a mutually surrounding gaseous shroud. The blue-green hue inside of NGC 1360 seen in the image is the strong emission produced as electrons recombine with doubly ionized oxygen atoms.

NGC 1360 was discovered in January 1868 by the German astronomer Friedrich August Theodor Winnecke

The sky transparency of Observatorio Cielos Albertnos  revealed distance background galaxies with following some research made in some of them are about 200 million light years away from us...

NGC 1360 - AKA THE ROBING EGG - ANNOTATED IMAGE

 PLANETARY NEBULA IN FORNAX (THE HEAT GENERATOR)

(Image centered at: ra 03h:33 m / dec - 25º 52')

DISTANT GALAXIES AROUND NGC 1360 - AKA THE ROBING EGG

200 + LIGHT YEARS AWAY

 100% RESOLUTION