Abell 35, also known as Sh2-313 is a questionable
planetary nebula in the constellation Hydra. Abell 35 was always thought to be an old planetary nebula 1200 light years distant. Recent studies, however, suggest that this object may be what's called a
Stromgren Sphere. The object exhibits a strong bow shock especially in the OIII spectrum as can be seen in the bluish/green center. This bow shock is not very evident in the Ha spectrum. The central star at the head of the bow shock is also not necessarily hot enough to ionize the area. The star is of a G8 spectral type. So researchers think this is a hybrid type nebula that is being powered by an unseen very hot star or pair of hot stars. What ever the experts finally decide, this is an interesting and colorful object. Within the image are also many faint background galaxies. The image is a crop of a larger field of view and was taken between the end of Jan into late April 2022 from my backyard under Bortle 5 skies.
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