Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Cetus (Cet)  ·  Contains:  HD4395  ·  NGC 246  ·  NGC 255
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NGC246 - Skull Nebula, Chris Jensen
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NGC246 - Skull Nebula

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
NGC246 - Skull Nebula, Chris Jensen
Powered byPixInsight

NGC246 - Skull Nebula

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Description

NGC246 is a planetary nebula that is getting close to the limits of what is worth imaging with my 8" reflector at an apparent diameter of 3.8 arc minutes. With my scope and camera combination, my predicted resolution is 0.97 arc minutes, so I was pretty happy to be able to resolve a half-decent image. 

NCG246 is the first known planetary nebula to have a hierarchical triple-star system at the centre. I am not 100% sure, but I think I was able to resolve a lump off to the side of the centre star which may be one of the companions. Anyway, a hard target that yielded what I think for me it a halfway decent image.

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NGC246 - Skull Nebula, Chris Jensen