The Eight Burst Nebula - NGC 3132

[ChrisD]

I've spent 2 nights on the Eight Burst Nebula and just finished processing. I would have liked more detail in the core but otherwise I think it is a reasonable image.

NGC 3132, also known as the Eight Burst Nebula or the Southern Ring Nebula, is a striking planetary nebula located in the southern constellation of Vela. This celestial wonder earned its moniker due to its distinct shape resembling the number "8" when observed through telescopes. The nebula is created by the expanding outer layers of a dying star, which have been expelled into space, while the central star, a hot white dwarf, illuminates the surrounding gas with its intense ultraviolet radiation. NGC 3132's intricate structure showcases intricate filamentary patterns and symmetrical lobes, offering astronomers valuable insights into the complex processes of stellar evolution.

Celestron C8
Starizona flattener
Player-One Poseidon-C camera
Player-One OAG
AM5 mount
Nina
Pixinsight
Affinity Photo

5.5 hrs of OSC 120 sec subs at 0 gain.

Chris

[strongmanmike]

Great shot Chris, it's a beaut PN this one, love observing it in a big dob in good seeing too, in fact I did last night, through my 18" F4.1 great transparency and seeing and it looked bloody awesome :thumbsup:

If you shoot some more data you might be able to bring out more of the outer shells (you have a hint there already), they are quite extensive.

Mike

[Dave882]

Great work mate that’s a fantastic image of this tiny pn! It’s been a couple years since I’ve shot this but you’ve inspired me to have another crack :thumbsup:

[ChrisD]

No don't. I've seen your images and you'll make mine look like crap. :)

Chris

[gaseous]

Cracking photo. Love this target visually, but the pink hues in the photos just add to it, rather than just the turquoise thumbprint seen at the eyepiece.

[Ryderscope]

That’s an intriguing and fascinating object Chris. A great result with lots of nice detail :thumbsup:

[ChrisV]

Nice. That's a good ad for the AM5 harmonic drive mount working at long focal length.

[ChrisD]

Yeah, at 1490mm the C8 is way above the recommended max focal length for the AM5 of 900mm. The problem is long focal length with the fast PE of harmonic mounts makes it difficult to get acceptably tracking. I needed to throw out everything I'd learned about tuning PHD2 with worm drive as harmonic drives are a completely different beast. However, after climbing a particularly frustrating learning curve, on an average night I can get into the 0.3" - 0.4" on the AM5 with a C8.

Chris

[Paul Haese]

Nicely processed image with lots of detail. It's such a tiny object but still worth imaging with a bit of focal length.