NGC 7293 - The Helix Nebula - Planetary NebulaNGC 7293 is a large and well-known planetary nebula located in the faint zodiac constellation  of Aquarius. Also known as Caldwell 63, it's one of the nearest objects of its type and a beautiful example of a remnant of a dying star. It contains a double ring structure, not unlike two coils of a spring, hence the popular name the Helix Nebula.Although the area of sky surrounding the Helix Nebula is devoid of bright stars, it can be easily located by star-hoping. This nebula lies roughly halfway along an imaginary line connecting Fomalhaut (α PsA - mag. +1.2), the brightest star in the constellation Piscis Austrinus, and ι Aqr (mag. +4.3). Just over a degree east of the Helix is υ Aqr. At magnitude +5.2, this star is faintly visible to the naked eye under dark skies and acts as a good marker.At magnitude +7.3, the Helix Nebula is the brightest planetary nebula in the sky. Based on this information it would seem an easy target, and is indeed visible with binoculars from a dark site. But that's the key, dark skies are required due to its large surface area resulting in low surface brightness. The main nebula covers 18 arcminutes with the much fainter outer halo spanning some 28 arc minutes - close to the apparent diameter of the full Moon. Charles Messier failed to spot it and the two great astronomers, Sir William and Sir John Herschel, also failed to notice it during their sky searches. It was German astronomer Karl Ludwig Harding who eventually discovered the nebula, sometime before 1824.  The Helix Nebula is located 695 light-years from Earth and has an actual radius of about 3 light-years.

Information Credits: Home Free Star Charts


Telescope:  Explorer Scientific 127mm CF APO Refractor f/7.5
Mount  IOptron CEM40
Camera ZWOASI183MC-Pro
ZWO  EFW


65 X 210 Second Exposures W/Optolong L-Extreme Filter    Gain 120 Offset    20
50 Dark Frames
Total Integration Time:  3 Hours  47,5 Minutes

Acquisition with SharpCap
Stacked with Astro Pixel Processor
Guiding PHD2
Processed with Astra Image

Photo taken from Seven Lakes, NC  Bortle 4.5,   taken on 9/3-9/4/2021.  I can only view this object when it's rising in the East.  I loose it when it gets close to the meridian.  This happens to be looking toward Southern Pines, NC where the highest amount of LP is coming from.  Those two days had been in the mid-90's with some summer haze.