Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Pyxis (Pyx)  ·  Contains:  NGC 2818  ·  PK261+08.1
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NGC 2818 & Melotte 96, Gary Imm
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NGC 2818 & Melotte 96

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NGC 2818 & Melotte 96, Gary Imm
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NGC 2818 & Melotte 96

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Description

This object is a wonderful tiny planetary nebula, less than 6 light years across, located in the southern constellation of Pyxis. Our view of it is less than 1 minute across from our perspective 10,000 light years away. The nebula appears in the same field of view as a small open star cluster (Melotte 96).

I love the unique color pattern and shape of this nebula, and that it appears in the same field of view as the colorful cluster. Studies have shown that the nebula and cluster are not related and that their location is just a chance superimposed alignment. In fact, I was surprised to learn that there has yet been a single established case of a planetary nebula that is part of (and not just superimposed on) an open cluster.

The interesting structure of the nebula is hard to understand and unlike any that I have imaged. Other PNs are football shaped like this (Helix Nebula & NGC 6905, for example), but they don't have the same internal structure as this one. The Hubble image shows that the central star is obscured by the nebula itself.

I am surprised at the large number of orange stars in this image. That could be due simply to a lot of dust in this area. At -37 degrees declination, this object is hard for me to capture clearly.

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