20211008 - Sh2-248 GEM The Jellyfish Nebula - A large catch with a small fishing boat/scope
What’s in the picture(s)
Sh2-248 - The jellyfish Nebula -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IC_443Quote: “I C 443 (also known as the Jellyfish Nebula and Sharpless 248 (
Sh2-248)) is a galactic
supernova remnant (SNR) in the constellation
Gemini. On the plane of the sky, it is located near the star
Eta Geminorum. Its distance is roughly 5,000
light years from Earth.
IC 443 may be the remains of a
supernova that occurred 3,000 - 30,000 years ago. The same supernova event likely created a
neutron star, the collapsed remnant of the stellar core. IC 443 is one of the best-studied cases of supernova remnants interacting with surrounding molecular clouds.
IC 443 is an extended source, having an angular diameter of 50
arcmin (by comparison, the full moon is 30 arcmin across)”
What was the experience
With only 1 night of Clear Skies, you need to make the most of it. I had prepared a planning for the 3 scopes, setting up the TS140 for fireworks and andromeda and the TS94 for some other objects. But I also had my RedCat, running on the SkyGuider Pro, very “hands-on” in setting up and keeping the imaging skills sharp 💪. Polar Alignment is a skill on the little mount to make sure you can get maximum exposure time.
There was a DSO getting into view over the horizon in the east, that has been on my list for quite some time: Sh2-248 The Jellyfish Nebula. A supernova remnant floating in space, a faint reminder of the death throes of what was once a star …
Not enough integration time (only 2h30min) to get a full view, but enough to get a first contact with this jellyfish-shaped nebula.
A good preparation to go out fishing for this one later, with the bigger boats …. I mean scopes 🤣
How it was done
Scope: WO RedCat 51
Mount: iOptron SkyGuider Pro
Camera: ASI183MC PRO
Filter: Optolong L-Extreme
Guiding: ASIAIR Pro, ZWO30F4, ASI120MM
Resolution: 1,98”/pixel, FoV 218’
Moon: 6%(+), Bortle 5/6 SQM 19.60
Photons: Gain 125, cooling -10, 300s, 30x
Darks/Flats
Processing: PixInsight (Mac)
Astrobin:
What have I learned from this
Some of these DSO don’t cease to amaze how “big” they are in the night sky. Although this one is very faint, one can only marvel on the beauty that is visible in night sky to the naked eye …. if there would not be any damned city light pollution and Sky-tracers 😳🙄😢
I sometimes wonder how the sky would’ve looked to the people in the ancient times. For sure they would’ve seen the beautiful red colour of Orion’s bow, why else would they’ve called it the Hunter …. Maybe they even would’ve been able to see this JellyFish, twice the size of the moon in the sky …
Wouldn’t you want to see those marvels again in our night sky with the naked eye ?…
I would ✨🔭🤩
Clear Skies everybody! 🤩✨🔭
Follow me @astrowaut
Astrobin:
https://www.astrobin.com/users/WCA65/
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