EGB4 (Ellis-Grayson-Bond 4)

[Petergoodhew]

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 amateaur image and thefirst colour image.

Yes it's incredibly faint!

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

 

Edited January 1, 2020 by Petergoodhew

[nightcasper]

Great image Peter you do like the dim targets 😀 Happy New Year.

Dave

[Petergoodhew]

2 minutes ago, nightcasper said:

Great image Peter you do like the dim targets 😀 Happy New Year.

Dave

Thanks Dave. I do enjoy a challenge - and some of these are really challenging!  It's good to get going again after two months of cloud and rain.  Happy New Year to you and the family - and the best of luck with Pixelskies in 2020.

Peter