New ESO’s VLT image of the Skull Nebula

eso_eso2019a October 30th, 2020

Credit: ESO

Captured in astounding detail by ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), the eerie Skull Nebula is showcased in this new image in beautiful pink and red tones. This planetary nebula, also known as NGC 246, is the first known to be associated with a pair of closely bound stars orbited by a third outer star.

Provider: European Southern Observatory

Image Source: https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso2019a/

Curator: European Southern Observatory, Garching bei München, None, Germany

Image Use Policy: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

View Options

Fullscreen

View in WorldWide Telescope

Download Options

Full Size Image (1665 x 1686)
Source TIFF (5.56 MB)

Image Details

Image Type: Observation
Object Name: NGC246
Subject - Milky Way: Nebula > Type > Planetary

Position Details

Position (ICRS): RA = 0h 47m 3.9s; DEC = -11° 52’ 18.8”
Orientation: North is 180.0° CCW
Field of View: 7.0 x 7.1 arcminutes
Constellation: Cetus

Color Mapping

Telescope	Spectral Band	Wavelength
VLT (FORS2)	Optical (H-alpha)	656.3 nm
VLT (FORS2)	Optical (R)	655.0 nm
VLT (FORS2)	Optical (v)	557.0 nm
VLT (FORS2)	Optical (b)	440.0 nm
VLT (FORS2)	Optical (OIII)	503.0 nm

ID: eso2019a
Subject Category: B.4.1.3
Subject Name: NGC246
Credits: ESO

Release Date: 2020-10-30T12:00:00
Lightyears
Redshift
Reference Url: https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso2019a/

Type: Observation
Image Quality
Distance Notes

Facility: Very Large Telescope, Very Large Telescope, Very Large Telescope, Very Large Telescope, Very Large Telescope
Instrument: FORS2, FORS2, FORS2, FORS2, FORS2
Color Assignment: Red, Orange, Green, Blue, Cyan

Band: Optical, Optical, Optical, Optical, Optical
Bandpass: H-alpha, R, v, b, OIII
Central Wavelength: 656.3, 655, 557, 440, 503

Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes

Coordinate Frame: ICRS
Equinox: J2000
Reference Value: 11.7662373158, -11.8718983057
Reference Dimension: 1665.0, 1686.0

Reference Pixel: 832.5, 843.0
Scale: -7.00205200646e-05, 7.00205200646e-05
Rotation: 180
Coordinate System Projection:: TAN

Quality: Full
FITS Header
Notes

Creator (Curator): European Southern Observatory
URL: http://www.eso.org
Name
Email

Telephone
Address: Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2
City: Garching bei München
State/Province: None

Postal Code: D-85748
Country: Germany
Rights: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Publisher: European Southern Observatory
Publisher ID: eso
Resource ID: eso2019a

Resource URL: https://www.eso.org/public/archives/images/original/eso2019a.tif
Related Resources

Metadata Date: 2020-10-16T18:08:33+02:00
Metadata Version: 1.1

Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

There is no distance meta data in this image.