andredem1
Sh2-219_OU4
A very faint but very large squid-like nebula is visible in planet Earth's sky -- but inside a still larger bat. The Giant Squid Nebula cataloged as Ou4, and Sh2-129 also known as the Flying Bat Nebula, are both caught in this cosmic scene toward the royal royal constellation Cepheus. Discovered in 2011 by French astro-imager Nicolas Outters, the Squid Nebula's alluring bipolar shape is distinguished here by the telltale blue-green emission from doubly ionized oxygen atoms. Though apparently completely surrounded by the reddish hydrogen emission region Sh2-129, the true distance and nature of the Squid Nebula have been difficult to determine. Still, a more recent investigation suggests Ou4 really does lie within Sh2-129 some 2,300 light-years away. Consistent with that scenario, Ou4 would represent a spectacular outflow driven by HR8119, a triple system of hot, massive stars seen near the center of the nebula. The truly giant Squid Nebula would physically be nearly 50 light-years across.
[Text from APOD 2020 October 7]
Takahashi FSQ-106 f5
Mount Astro Physics 1100 GTO
ASI 6200 MMpro
Filters: Antlia Ha 3nm 36x480s, OIII 3nm 55x600s, Astrodon GenII RGB 42x180s
Date: aug_sep/2021
Italy, Long 7°41'40"E, Lat 45°28'18"N. Sky 20,9-21,2
Automation software: Voyager (L. Orazi)
Processing: CCDStack, Photoshop, Pixinsight
Sh2-219_OU4
A very faint but very large squid-like nebula is visible in planet Earth's sky -- but inside a still larger bat. The Giant Squid Nebula cataloged as Ou4, and Sh2-129 also known as the Flying Bat Nebula, are both caught in this cosmic scene toward the royal royal constellation Cepheus. Discovered in 2011 by French astro-imager Nicolas Outters, the Squid Nebula's alluring bipolar shape is distinguished here by the telltale blue-green emission from doubly ionized oxygen atoms. Though apparently completely surrounded by the reddish hydrogen emission region Sh2-129, the true distance and nature of the Squid Nebula have been difficult to determine. Still, a more recent investigation suggests Ou4 really does lie within Sh2-129 some 2,300 light-years away. Consistent with that scenario, Ou4 would represent a spectacular outflow driven by HR8119, a triple system of hot, massive stars seen near the center of the nebula. The truly giant Squid Nebula would physically be nearly 50 light-years across.
[Text from APOD 2020 October 7]
Takahashi FSQ-106 f5
Mount Astro Physics 1100 GTO
ASI 6200 MMpro
Filters: Antlia Ha 3nm 36x480s, OIII 3nm 55x600s, Astrodon GenII RGB 42x180s
Date: aug_sep/2021
Italy, Long 7°41'40"E, Lat 45°28'18"N. Sky 20,9-21,2
Automation software: Voyager (L. Orazi)
Processing: CCDStack, Photoshop, Pixinsight