Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Canis Major (CMa)  ·  Contains:  HD56595  ·  HD56771  ·  HD57008  ·  HD57027  ·  HD57057  ·  HD57083  ·  HD57084  ·  IC 468  ·  LBN 1040  ·  LBN 1041  ·  NGC 2359  ·  Sh2-298
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Thor's Helmet with Planetary Nebula, Robert Shepherd
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Thor's Helmet with Planetary Nebula

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Thor's Helmet with Planetary Nebula, Robert Shepherd
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Thor's Helmet with Planetary Nebula

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Description

Thors Helmet is situated in the southern part of the constellation Canis Major, approximately 12.000 light-years away from Earth.
The central star, responsible for illuminating the nebula, is a Wolf-Rayet star named HD 56925. Wolf-Rayet stars are known for their high temperatures and strong stellar winds.
These are massive, evolved stars with very strong stellar winds. They are crucial in shaping the surrounding interstellar medium, giving rise to intricate nebulae like Thors Helmet.

In the top right corner of the image lies PN G228.0-00.4, a Planetary Nebula only about 3' in size.
I was quite surprised to see this, as even deep exposures of this field don't often show it. Small things can can be a highlight, even though the massive Nebula next to it seems dominating.   
Enjoy!

Robert

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Thor's Helmet with Planetary Nebula, Robert Shepherd