Shapley 1 - A torus in Norma with new faint outer shell

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Well at 32.5 hrs in total, this is the longest exposure I have ever taken (only chucked 3 subs out of 5 nights worth of data too!..amazing )

Shapley 1 is a beautiful but rather small ring Planetary Nebula in Norma, it is a torus or ring rather than a bubble or hourglass shape more typical of planetary nebulae. The inner bright "spare tyre" ring is just 75" in diameter, the gossamer glowing halo outside this is 1.8' in diameter and the long exposure has revealed a new shell/ring structure around the periphery, which takes the nebula's size out to nearly 2.5' in diameter.

An extensive search found no other image that shows the glowing halo as well nor any that show this level of structure in the very faint outer broken OIII ring...and getting this structure was my goal...hence the extra long exposure

EDIT: Seems the first reference to the thin faint outer OIII ring (actually a bow shock) I captured appeared in this 2011 paper, visible in stretched and contrast enhanced from deep OIII data taken using the 3.6m NTT in sub arc sec seeing at La Silla and the structure again completely concurs with what I captured, both the faint bow shock that encircles about half the nebula and the fainter smaller loop visible at the top left edge of the teal halo ..thanks Sakib

For those interested, here is a bit of info on Shapley 1 (named after Harlow Shapley)

"This is an unusual annular planetary nebula in Norma. The nebula itself appears quite small at a little over an arc minute in diameter, while its central star is a magnitude 14 white dwarf. This object is unusual because those planetaries that are not bipolar are more or less spherical shells of material thrown off by the central star as it undergoes an internal rearrangement. We often see them as thick annuli because we look through a greater thickness at the edge of the shell. However, Shapley 1 seems to be a true torus, a doughnut-shaped ring of material that we happen to see face-on around the central star. Sp-1 is about 1000 light years distant" - text © 1995-2010, Australian Astronomical Observatory

Hope you enjoy another small (challenging) but intriguing beauty...complete with her new outer shell!

Shapley 1 (Full resolution crop)

Up Close (150% resolution crop)

Comparison with CHART32 (some of the new outer shell is faintly visible in their data and confirms my capture )

Full 38' X 30' Frame (to show how small it is)

and finally...How far we have come in amateur imaging

This was a very satisfying capture

Mike

[Tony_ (Tony)]

Wow Mike - superb image!!
I have imaged this one a few a few years ago and managed to achieve a pathetic looking ring compared to yours. I will try it again one day - but still it will be pathetic compared to yours (thanks).
Sure the chart32 is sharper - but under the conditions yours is great -really well done for a small object.

Tony.

[DaveNZ (Dave)]

Wonderful detail Mike. Well done.

You will be very pleased with how well your Orion UK scope is performing.
Would you recommend the Orion UK AG astrographs?

[h0ughy (David)]

looks like a blueberry doughnut

oh sooo goood!!! fantastic achievement mike

[LewisM]

Rather shapely!



Wonderful capture Mike

[Placidus (Mike and Trish)]

Bravo !!!

That is an extraordinarily difficult target from Oz. The one to one comparison with the "answer in the back of the book" reassures that you're seeing real things (and no worms), ridiculously faint structures that are only about 1 sec arc across, but you've gone deeper.

Must be very satisfying indeed.

[Atmos (Colin)]

Blimey! Jolly Gee Willikers Batman!
In the outer halo it looks like there is some faint rotational arms on the left and right.

At any rate

[multiweb (Marc)]

Cool shot. Very interesting planetary. Heaps of colours.

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

Are you going through the list Shapley list in chronological order?

A beauty Mike.

[atalas]

[alpal]

Great result Mike,
I'm surprised at your achievement with the AG12.
You've shown a larger shell area than CHART32.

cheers
Allan

[marc4darkskies (Marcus)]

Beautifully done Mike! A fascinating object!

[topheart]

Wow!!
What a great achievement - documenting such a great small object so well.

Congratulations Mike!
Cheers,
Tim

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by Tony_

Wow Mike - superb image!!
I have imaged this one a few a few years ago and managed to achieve a pathetic looking ring compared to yours. I will try it again one day - but still it will be pathetic compared to yours (thanks).
Sure the chart32 is sharper - but under the conditions yours is great -really well done for a small object.

Tony.

Thanks so much Tony and please shoot it, I am surpised it is not imaged more often

Originally Posted by DaveNZ

Wonderful detail Mike. Well done.

You will be very pleased with how well your Orion UK scope is performing.
Would you recommend the Orion UK AG astrographs?

Cheers Dave, yes the venerable AG12 is certainly quite a capable, powerful and versatile instument. Orion Optics UK have changed the OTA design slightly and the Wynn corrector too since I got mine in 2011, so I can't comment on the current models quality and performance but my scope is more than satisfactory for a wide variety of imaging

Originally Posted by h0ughy

looks like a blueberry doughnut

oh sooo goood!!! fantastic achievement mike

Thanks Houghy

Originally Posted by LewisM

Rather shapely!



Wonderful capture Mike

Indeed...a true Heavenly Body

Originally Posted by Placidus

Bravo !!!

That is an extraordinarily difficult target from Oz. The one to one comparison with the "answer in the back of the book" reassures that you're seeing real things (and no worms), ridiculously faint structures that are only about 1 sec arc across, but you've gone deeper.

Must be very satisfying indeed.

Thanks Mike and Trish, it is great going after challenging objects and not having an automated system or even a motorised dome doesn't deter me...I still have the passion ...thank god for beer though...and whisky...and coffee...and a flexible workplace...oh and an understanding wife

Originally Posted by Atmos

Blimey! Jolly Gee Willikers Batman!
In the outer halo it looks like there is some faint rotational arms on the left and right.

At any rate

Cheers Col, they aren't rotational arms I don't think, it looks more like an incomplete ring... actually if you look at the close up version and use averted vision it looks pretty clear that the ring goes all the way around? Probably the very first outburst a few thousand years ago?

Originally Posted by multiweb

Cool shot. Very interesting planetary. Heaps of colours.

Thanks Marc

Originally Posted by cometcatcher

Are you going through the list Shapley list in chronological order?

A beauty Mike.

I didn't think so..? I thought this was the first one..?

Originally Posted by atalas

Originally Posted by alpal

Great result Mike,
I'm surprised at your achievement with the AG12.
You've shown a larger shell area than CHART32.

cheers
Allan

Speed and some sort of aperture plus a long exposure I guess?

Originally Posted by marc4darkskies

Beautifully done Mike! A fascinating object!

Thanks Marcus, 5 nights of persistent work and (mostly) cooperative seeing ...as I've told you, you need to move nearby

Originally Posted by topheart

Wow!!
What a great achievement - documenting such a great small object so well.

Congratulations Mike!
Cheers,
Tim

Thanks so much Tim, I seem to like these small objects huh..?

Mike

[Stevec35 (Steve)]

A very nice Shapley 1 Mike and well done for capturing the outer halo. I just checked my image of it taken a few years ago and I can't see any sign of it but of course my exposure was a lot shorter. You ought to try the nearby VBRC 7 too. Maybe a mosaic is a possibility.

Cheers

Steve

[astroron (Ron)]

Great image Mike
This is one of my favourite PN's to observe
in the 16" with a 6mm radian eyepiece 300x mag.
The central star is visible on nights of good seeing and transparency
The thickening on one side is quite noticeable,but I have noticed this PN
is not enhanced by either UHC or O111 filters in the visual.
Thanks for sharing.
Cheers

Ps, I don't think it is that small for a PN.

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by Stevec35

A very nice Shapley 1 Mike and well done for capturing the outer halo. I just checked my image of it taken a few years ago and I can't see any sign of it but of course my exposure was a lot shorter. You ought to try the nearby VBRC 7 too. Maybe a mosaic is a possibility.

Cheers

Steve

Thanks Steve Hey, after spending 32hrs on it at F3.8 I would hope you didn't find anything in your image ...I would hate to think I wasted all that time

Originally Posted by astroron

Great image Mike
This is one of my favourite PN's to observe
in the 16" with a 6mm radian eyepiece 300x mag.
The central star is visible on nights of good seeing and transparency
The thickening on one side is quite noticeable,but I have noticed this PN
is not enhanced by either UHC or O111 filters in the visual.
Thanks for sharing.
Cheers

Ps, I don't think it is that small for a PN.

Hi Ron yeah I looked at it at SPSP through two different 24" scopes and it was a beautiful (faint) white Lifesaver with an obvious central star no sign of the two outer halos though

Mike

[Bassnut (Fred)]

Gee, thats very smick indeed Mike, impressive res for such a small 2.5' size. The processing is superb in every way too, very attractive to look at.

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Originally Posted by Bassnut

Gee, thats very smick indeed Mike, impressive res for such a small 2.5' size. The processing is superb in every way too, very attractive to look at.

On ya Fred, it is a little beauty huh?

Oh and I was waiting to see you on Sat to give you some beers to replace that Irish muck you gave me up at the house...I owe you next year

Mike

[Retrograde (Pete)]

Amazing Mike - really pushing the boundaries once again