Astronomy Photos


18. M57, the Ring Nebula.  Formerly a red giant star, it's expelling its outer layers as it dies.

If you look closely to the lower right of the nebula, you can just barely see a faint galaxy (IC1296).  It looks like a star that is a little fuzzier than the others in this picture.  M57 is about 4 thousand light years away and the galaxy is about 200 million light years away.

 

Optics: 9.25 inch Schmidt Cassegrain, 2350mm focal length, f/10
Mount: CGEM DX
Camera: Canon XTi, not modified
Filters: None
Exposure: 22 x 240 seconds, iso 1600