Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Cassiopeia (Cas)  ·  Contains:  PK128-04.1  ·  Sh2-188
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SH-2 188 in SHO, Tim Hutchison
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SH-2 188 in SHO

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
SH-2 188 in SHO, Tim Hutchison
Powered byPixInsight

SH-2 188 in SHO

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Description

Not the MOST interesting object...but still pretty cool. SH-2 188 is a planetary nebula in Cassiopeia. First photographed in 1965, it was initially thought to be a supernova remnant, partially because of its shape. Typically spherical in nature, a planetary nebula forms when faster stellar winds catch up with the slower moving gas expelled during the AGB phase of the star, forming a bow shock.

SH-2 188 is obviously not entirely spherical (although there is some wispy nebulosity on the back side which I failed to sufficiently capture in this image). It is thought that perhaps the rapidly moving planetary nebula is colliding with the ISM. The leading edge preserves the bow shock, but the trailing end drags behind and eventually dissipates.

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SH-2 188 in SHO, Tim Hutchison

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