EGB 4

Astrobin Image Of The Day 9th January 2020

 

Amateur Astronomy Image Of The Day 25th January 2020 AAPOD2

 

Published in Universo Magico 27 March 2020

 

EGB 4 (a nebula discovered by Ellis, Grayson, & Bond in 1984) is NOT a comet, despite it's comet-like appearance. It is an emission nebula surrounding a catacylismic binary star system called BZ Cam in the constellation of Camelopardis.

 

It has an unusual bow-shock structure as BZ Cam (with it's associated wind) moves through the interstellar medium, similar to the bow wave in front of a ship that is moving through water.

 

BZ Cam is believed to be a white dwarf star that is accreting mass from an accompanying main-sequence star of 0.3-0.4 solar masses.

It is around 2,500 light years away, and has a space velocity of 125 km/second.

 

I can only find one previous image of EGB 4 online, a NASA APOD from 2000, so I believe this could be the first amateur image and the first colour image.

 

Astrodon Blue: 15x300"

Astrodon Green: 15x300"

Astrodon Lum: 20x600"

Astrodon Red: 15x300"

Astrodon OIII: 25x1800s bin 2x2

Astrodon Ha: 56x1800s bin 2x2

 

Total Integration: 48 hours

 

Captured on my dual rig in Spain.

Scopes: APM TMB LZOS 152 (6" aperture 1200mm focal length)

Cameras: QSI6120wsg8

Mount: 10Micron GM2000 HPS

 

References:

 

apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap001128.html

 

THE ASTRONOMICAL JOURNAL, 115:286-295, 1998 January © 1998. The American Astronomical Society.

 

aanda.org/articles/aa/full/2001/36/aa1385/aa1385.right.html

Done