Oceanic Cosmos: The Dolphin Head Nebula in Aquatic Hues.

My latest acquisition, not sure how I feel about this yet, I may choose to add more data later.

ABOUT THE ACQUISITION 

Despite being observed from a Bortle 6 location in my Brisbane backyard, the nebula's charm is vividly captured. The observation challenges however were significant due to the month's full moon and suboptimal FWHM readings between 2.76" and 3.46" due to high clouds. Because of this, I was not able to highlight the presence of a round bubble at the bottom edge of the nebula (planetary nebula candidate PNG 234.9-09.7). You can *only* slightly see its presence.

Nonetheless, some of the nebula's details were seized at a modest focal length of 250mm using a RedCat 51 telescope. The image is further embellished by the bright presence of the red-orange supergiant O¹ Canis Majoris and the stellar ensemble of the open cluster Collinder 121, adding depth to the celestial scene captured from this urban setting.

ABOUT THE WIDEVIEW

This astrophotography endeavor captures a broader celestial landscape beyond the Dolphin Nebula, spanning from -22º to -26º in declination and extending from 6h50min to 7h in right ascension. Centered at RA 06h54m14s.93 and DEC -23°51′59″.9, the image offers a wide field of view of approximately 3.007 degrees, with a pixel scale of 3.879 arcsec/pixel and oriented at -89.219 degrees. This wideview includes not only SH2-308 but also other significant astronomical features such as SH2-303 and the planetary nebulae candidates PK233-10.1 and PK236-10.1. The detailed capture of this expansive celestial region, despite the challenges posed by less-than-ideal observing conditions, showcases a rich tapestry of stellar and nebular phenomena, adding a broader context to the captivating scene centered on the Dolphin Nebula.

ABOUT THE NEBULA

The Dolphin Nebula, also known as SH2-308, is a captivating emission nebula formed by the intense ultraviolet radiation from the Wolf-Rayet star WR6, also known as EZ Canis Majoris. This star, a luminous beacon with over 600,000 times the sun's brightness yet only 26 times its mass, plays a pivotal role in the nebula's striking appearance. Predominantly illuminated by OIII emissions, the nebula's intricate structures, reminiscent of a dolphin's brain, are also accentuated in Ha emissions.