Messier 57 Ring Nebula via RC 6 & DSLR
Messier 57, the Ring Nebula, is a planetary nebula formed by a exploded shell of gas from a dying star before the star begins its turning into a white dwarf star. An average star is roughly the size of our sun. Our sun is roughly one million times the size of the earth. When a star runs out of the hydrogen gas fuel that powers its nuclear reactions, its matter compresses toward its center driven by its intense gravity. It compresses down to a size about one millionth of its previous dimensions, or about the size of our earth. As it does so, its matter loses their electrons and greatly increases in density. Matter that would normally fit into a teaspoon, and weigh an ounce or two, would then weigh as much as several tons. In this image, the tiny star at the center of the Ring Nebula is the white dwarf remnant core of the explosion.
This image was taken on the Ritchey-Chretien 6 inch telescope with a Canon T7i DSLR attached at the prime focus. Guiding was through a SkyWatcher 50ED Evoguide refractor (Aperture: 50mm) with an ASI183MC camera and PHD2 auto-guiding software. The mount was a SkyWatcher EQ6-R Pro. Exposures were 6 x 240s at ISO 800. Polar alignment was with SharpCap Pro.
Messier 57 Ring Nebula via RC 6 & DSLR
Messier 57, the Ring Nebula, is a planetary nebula formed by a exploded shell of gas from a dying star before the star begins its turning into a white dwarf star. An average star is roughly the size of our sun. Our sun is roughly one million times the size of the earth. When a star runs out of the hydrogen gas fuel that powers its nuclear reactions, its matter compresses toward its center driven by its intense gravity. It compresses down to a size about one millionth of its previous dimensions, or about the size of our earth. As it does so, its matter loses their electrons and greatly increases in density. Matter that would normally fit into a teaspoon, and weigh an ounce or two, would then weigh as much as several tons. In this image, the tiny star at the center of the Ring Nebula is the white dwarf remnant core of the explosion.
This image was taken on the Ritchey-Chretien 6 inch telescope with a Canon T7i DSLR attached at the prime focus. Guiding was through a SkyWatcher 50ED Evoguide refractor (Aperture: 50mm) with an ASI183MC camera and PHD2 auto-guiding software. The mount was a SkyWatcher EQ6-R Pro. Exposures were 6 x 240s at ISO 800. Polar alignment was with SharpCap Pro.