NGC 236

(aka THOR HELMET)

EMISSION AND REFLECTION NEBULA IN CANIS MAJOR 

 (Image Centred at ra 07h:18.6m / dec -13:12)

CLICK THE IMAGE FOR A HIGHER RESOLUTION VIEW

December 2014 - Camping La Porteña, San Antonio de Areco, Buenos Aires, Argentina

DATA

Type: Emission and Reflection Nebula

Apparent Magnitude: n/a

Apparent diameter: 9x6 arc minutes

Distance: 15.000 light years

IMAGE INFORMATION

TELESCOPE: 8" Orion Optics UK Mirror with Televue Paracorr (1150 mm focal length)

CAMERA: QSI 583 WS

FILTERS: Baader LRGB

SKY CONDITIONS: rural skies

EXPOSURES: LRGB (60,40,40,40) shots at bin 1x1

OBJECT DESCRIPTION AND IMAGE SESSION

Located around 8 degrees to the east from Sirius, this object has a particular shape that resembles a Viking helmet. Because of the mentioned it is also known as the Thor's Nebula. In the picture above the helmet appears horizontal. The core of the helmet is in fact a bubble formed by the powerful Wolf Rayet WR7 (HD 56925) with apparent magnitude of 11.5 located near the center. The strong and hot winds produced by WR7, compress the interstellar material producing a bubble of gas around the star of 20 times the solar mass. The filaments shown a blue to green colour due to the oxygen atoms of the glowing gas.