Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Lynx (Lyn)
Jones-Emberson 1 (Revisited)  - A Very Blue White Dwarf, Jason Guenzel
Jones-Emberson 1 (Revisited)  - A Very Blue White Dwarf
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Jones-Emberson 1 (Revisited) - A Very Blue White Dwarf

Jones-Emberson 1 (Revisited)  - A Very Blue White Dwarf, Jason Guenzel
Jones-Emberson 1 (Revisited)  - A Very Blue White Dwarf
Powered byPixInsight

Jones-Emberson 1 (Revisited) - A Very Blue White Dwarf

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Description

Jones-Emberson 1 is a planetary nebula about 1600 light years away in the constellation Lynx. It is also known by the name corresponding to its galactic coordinates, PK164+31.1, which doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Although incredibly faint with low surface brightness, it is actually one of the larger planetary nebulae in the night sky.

Long ago, the 16.8-magnitude central white dwarf collapsed from the original progenitor star. It shines a brilliant blue. As it compacted, it shed the outer shells of slowly expanding hydrogen gas. The central "void" is filled by a diffuse oxygen cloud. Together, the combination of emission from these gasses tint the nebula a range of rich tones.

One interesting aspect of this nebula is that there are at least a few background galaxies visible when looking through the central void. In fact, the field is rich with far-flung galaxies.

This image was compiled from two complete data sets I captured three years apart. Because of the incredible faint detail available in this one, I may come back a third time. But, for now, we'll say this year's revision is done.

Enjoy!

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