Pan over the Helix Nebula

Pan over the colour-composite image of the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293), created from images obtained using the the Wide Field Imager (WFI), an astronomical camera attached to the 2.2-metre Max-Planck Society/ESO telescope at the La Silla observatory in Chile. The blue-green glow in the centre of the Helix comes from oxygen atoms shining under effects of the intense ultraviolet radiation of the 120 000 degree Celsius central star and the hot gas. Further out from the star and beyond the ring of knots, the red colour from hydrogen and nitrogen is more prominent. A careful look at the central part of this object reveals not only the knots, but also many remote galaxies seen right through the thinly spread glowing gas.

Read more about it on eso0907.

Crédit:

ESO

À propos de la vidéo

Identification:eso0907b
Date de publication:25 février 2009
Communiqués de presse en rapport:eso0907
Durée:36 s
Frame rate:30 fps

À propos de l'objet

Catégorie:Nebulae

HD


Grand

Grands QT
7,2 Mio

Moyen

Podcast vidéo
5,2 Mio

Petit


For Broadcasters