The NGC 7293 “Helix” nebula: an image – 15 Sept. 2023
A true iconic deep sky gem, the “Helix” (NGC 7293) planetary nebula is a superb view in this recent image captured by our facility.
NGC 7293, the “Helix” nebula. 15 Sept. 2023.
The image above comes from the average of 22, 120-second unfiltered exposures, remotely taken with the ARTEC250+Paramount ME+C3Pro61000EC robotic unit available as part of the Virtual Telescope Project facility in Manciano, Italy.
NGC 7293 is a truly spectacular planetary nebula, being one of the closest to our planet: its distance is estimated around 650 light years. The star at its center, similar to our Sun but older than 10 billion years, is evolving to a white dwarf and released a small amount of its mass, going to create the nebula we see, excited by the star itself.
Because of its intriguing shape, which appears at its best in narrow-band imaging, this object is nicknamed “Helix” nebula; sometimes it is called “Eye of God” or “Eye of Sauron”.
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