The Dolphin Nebula (Barnard 252)

[SkyViking]

Hi All,

Here is my latest image - a quick 2 1/4 hour intermezzo in between the regular multi-night data gathering sessions. :lol:
I imaged another dark nebula (Barnard 86) two years ago, and there are just so many of these lovely and quite unknown dark nebulae around the Milky Way plane so thought it wouldn't hurt with some more!

Link to large image (http://www.rolfolsenastrophotography.com/Astrophotography/Nebulae/i-VRCJ4Jt/X3)

Link to full resolution image (6MB) (http://www.rolfolsenastrophotography.com/Astrophotography/Nebulae/i-VRCJ4Jt/O)

About the image:
Located among the incredibly dense star fields of Scorpius lies a beautiful little dark nebula; Barnard 252.
There appears to exist very little, if any, information about this striking absorbing cloud, and it has no popular name.
I think it bears a strong resemblance to a jumping dolphin so I call it The Dolphin Nebula.

This interstellar cloud is sufficiently dense to completely block the light from thousands of background stars in the direction towards our galactic centre.
There exist many dark patches such as this one and the most famous is without doubt the Horsehead Nebula (http://www.rolfolsenastrophotography.com/Astrophotography/Nebulae/i-68QBqR4) in Orion. Another and much larger example, visible to the naked eye when away from city lights, is the large dark patch near the Southern Cross known as the Coalsack Nebula.
These clouds are full of tiny dust particles, each less than a micrometre in size. Optical wavelengths are easily absorbed by this dust and therefore the nebulae appear dark against any background light. However, radio and infrared wavelengths (http://www.rolfolsenastrophotography.com/Astrophotography/Nebulae/i-t2Lt6qQ) can penetrate the clouds and allow a peek inside where star formation often occurs.

In the early 1900's the american astronomer Edward Emerson Barnard (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Emerson_Barnard) complied a catalogue of dark nebulae by studying his many photographs of the Milky Way. Barnard was also an avid visual observer and discovered 15 comets, Jupiter's small moon Amalthea and Barnards Star the second closest star to our solar system. He also made fleeting observations of so-called 'spokes' in Saturn's rings; a mysterious phenomenon only confirmed much later when the Voyager 1 space probe passed Saturn in 1980.

Image details:
Date: 24th April 2014
Exposure: LRGB: 70:25:20:20 mins, total 2 hours 15 mins @ -25C
Telescope: Homebuilt 12.5" f/4 Serrurier Truss Newtonian
Camera: QSI 683wsg with Lodestar guider
Filters: Astrodon LRGB E-Series Gen 2
Taken from my observatory in Auckland, New Zealand

Hope you like it, all comments and critique welcome.

Regards
Rolf

[Stevec35]

Another excellent image Rolf and I think you nailed it exactly with the name.

Cheers

Steve

[RickS]

Very cool, Rolf! I love the dark nebs and that's a great one.

[alpal]

Great image Rolf.

[gvanhau]

That's a nice one Rolf . Don't remeber having it seen before.


Geert

[atalas]

Very nice Rolf.

[Draco]

damn, if you look at that pic from abit far, it looks soo much like a dolphin! Now I know where the name came from ;)

Great shot mate

[marco]

Very pretty Rolf, these dark nebulae on our Milky Way bulge are extremely charming! I am (re)doing B86 these nights, not sure when it well be completed (and processed :shrug:) but I really like these targets. Well done.

Clear skies
Marco

[SkyViking]

Thanks Steve, yes I think the shape was so obvious :)


Thank you Rick, dark nebulae are fascinating for sure. :)


Thank you Allan :)


Thanks Geert, yes I couln't find any images of it anywhere either . Quite surprising really.


Thank you Louie :)


Thanks Niv, that outline of the dolphin caught my attention immediately a while back in some widefield Milky Way image. So I thought I just had to image it someday and here it is :)


Thanks Marco. B86 is a beauty, I'll definitely be looking forward to your no doubt stunning rendition of that one. :thumbsup:

[Kunama]

Now you're just showing off Rolf :lol::lol:

Beautiful work...... :thumbsup:

[SkyViking]

Thanks Matt, I've always found the dense MW starfields fascinating and beautiful :)