Planetary Nebula Abell 31 in Cancer

[Laurin Dave]

Abell 31 (also known as Sh2-290) is a large (angular extent 17 arc min) dim planetary nebula in Cancer. It is about 2000 light years distant and about 10 light years in diameter.  The central star is a tiny white dwarf 4 times the size of earth and with a surface temperature of 85000 deg C and is believed to have started dying about 130000 years ago. The nebula is moving through space at a relatively high speed. The direction of motion being  toward the right of the image. This side is sharply defined by a wide bow shock where the nebular gas and dust is compressed by the interaction with the surrounding interstellar medium. Gas heading in the opposite direction is moving downwind and remains relatively untouched, making this boundary of the nebula rather diffuse. (source/credit Anne's Astronomy News).   Imaged in late March through Esprit150SX46 2hrs each RGB plus 11 hrs Ha and Esprit100ASI1600 5hrs Ha and 10hrs Oiii.  Processed in Pixinsight and Photoshop with Topaz de-noise used on the extremely dim ha and Oiii.

Thanks for looking

Dave

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by Laurin Dave

[gorann]

Lovely image Dave! I understand it is a difficult target but you made me tempted to give it a try with the RASA8. The best time from my horizon would be about now but I could still only get a few hours in a night. An then I also need a clear sky....

[Laurin Dave]

11 minutes ago, gorann said:

Lovely image Dave! I understand it is a difficult target but you made me tempted to give it a try with the RASA8. The best time from my horizon would be about now but I could still only get a few hours in a night. An then I also need a clear sky....

Thank you Goran..  faint it most certainly is, luckily I wasn't watching the Ha and Oiii subs coming in as I may well have given up as there's almost nothing on them!  Topaz certainly helps.

Dave

[gorann]

18 minutes ago, Laurin Dave said:

Thank you Goran..  faint it most certainly is, luckily I wasn't watching the Ha and Oiii subs coming in as I may well have given up as there's almost nothing on them!  Topaz certainly helps.

Dave

I assume you used starless processing to bring the faint stuff out.

Göran

[Laurin Dave]

8 minutes ago, gorann said:

I assume you used starless processing to bring the faint stuff out.

Göran

Indeed... starless... masks...  Topaz ... extreme stretches.. the LOT!

[gorann]

6 hours ago, Laurin Dave said:

Indeed... starless... masks...  Topaz ... extreme stretches.. the LOT!

And it worked!