NGC 6888 - The Crescent Nebula [Explored]

The Crescent Nebula in Cygnus is produced by the Wolf-Rayet star WR 136 in its center. Wolf-Rayet stars live their life in the fast lane. They begin as massive O-type stars, which burn hydrogen to helium in their core so rapidly that they last only a few million years before ending as supernovas.

 

With an estimated age of around 4.7 million years, WR 136 is expected to die with a brilliat bang within a few hundred thousand years. Presently, WR 136 is shedding mass at a furious rate of roughly one solar mass per 10'000 years. This fast stellar wind is catching up to older material, ejected when WR 136 still was a red super giant and is shaping it into the Crescent Nebula shell, which is excited to glow by intensive UV radiation emitted by WR 136 in its center.

 

Located near the star Sadr (Gamma Cygni), the Crescent Nebula is surrounded by the rich star field and red hydrogen emission nebulae of this Milky Way region.

 

As a special treat, the Soap Bubble Nebula is faintly visible at the lower right corner of the frame. This faint planetary nebula was only discovered 2008 by an amateur astronomer. It is the result of another dying star. This sun-like star is running out of hydrogen fuel and thus shedding its outer layers. Contrary to much the bigger Wolf-Rayet stars, sun-like stars are not massive enough to produce a supernova explosion and will slowly cool as white dwarfs when running out of fuel for their nuclear fusion.

 

EXIF

Telescope: William Optics Megrez 88

Camera: ZWO ASI 1600MM Pro

Baader SHO and RGB filters

Mount: Equatoriallly mounted Skywatcher AZ-GTI

Rig Control: ZWO ASIAir Plus

 

30 x 30s RGB

30 x 180s SHO

Total exposure time 5h15min

Done