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IC 2177, SH2-296 Seagull Nebula and NGC 2359 Thor’s Helmut, rdhand

IC 2177, SH2-296 Seagull Nebula and NGC 2359 Thor’s Helmut

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
IC 2177, SH2-296 Seagull Nebula and NGC 2359 Thor’s Helmut, rdhand

IC 2177, SH2-296 Seagull Nebula and NGC 2359 Thor’s Helmut

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Description

This Seagull Nebula is at the top of the photo.  The head and wings are different nebulas.  The head is IC 2177 or SH2-292 and it is an emisssion nebula located 3700 light years distant and 240 light years across.  The wings are SH2-296 and span an area 7 times wider and 3 times higher than the full moon.  It is 3800 light years distant.The small blue nebula towards the bottom of the photo is Thor’s Helmut (NGC 2359).  It is approximately 11,900 light years distant and 30 light-years across. The nebula has a general bubble shape combined with filamentary structures.  A bright star near the bubble’s center has created the bubble by the force of its “stellar wind”. However, this star may go supernova in the relatively near astronomical future.

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IC 2177, SH2-296 Seagull Nebula and NGC 2359 Thor’s Helmut, rdhand

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Cloudy Nights