NGC 1514 - The Crystall Ball Nebula

Runner up, Stargazers Lounge Imaging Challenge November 2018

 

Published in Astronomy Now magazine February 2019

 

NGC 1514 is a planetary nebula in the constellation Taurus that was discovered by William Herschel on November 13, 1790, describing it "A most singular phaenomenon" and forcing him to rethink his ideas on the construction of the heavens. Up until this point Herschel was convinced that all nebulae consisted of masses of stars too remote to resolve, but now here was a single star "surrounded with a faintly luminous atmosphere." He went on to conclude "Our judgement I may venture to say, will be, that the nebulosity about the star is not of a starry nature".

 

It has since been conjectured that the nebula in fact envelops a tightly orbiting double star with a period of up to 10 days. Gas is presumably expanding away from the larger star of the pair.

 

15 hours 30 minutes total capture

 

R 20x300s

G 20x300s

B 20x300s

Ha 21x1800s

 

Image captured remotely at Alcalali, Spain

 

APM TMB 152 F8 LZOS, 10 Micron GM2000HPS, QSI6120ws8

Done