Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Cepheus (Cep)
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Valentine Rose Planetary Nebula, M.J. Post
Valentine Rose Planetary Nebula
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Valentine Rose Planetary Nebula

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Valentine Rose Planetary Nebula, M.J. Post
Valentine Rose Planetary Nebula
Powered byPixInsight

Valentine Rose Planetary Nebula

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Here is a controversial planetary nebula, the northern-most Sharpless object SH2-174.  It is controversial because the white dwarf associated with it is not even close to its center.  That star is the tiny blue star in the central crease of bluish emissions to the right of center, and just left of a larger white star.  The explanation for that displacement among believers is that the interstellar medium has pushed and distorted the shell with respect to its progenitor star. 


But nearly all agree that this is one of the oldest PNs out there - more than 30,000 years old.  That  helps explain its low magnitude (14.7) and large size (~20 arc min).  It lies about 980 l.y. distant in Cepheus, and is circumpolar for those of us living at mid-northern latitudes .  Its formal designation is PK 120+18.1.

I was fortunate to capture this dim object through the Boulder light dome last night, with just 1.5 hours exposure times for H and O filters through an 11" RASA scope and onto a QHY 600M camera.  FOV is about 1.3 x 0.9 degrees.

M.J. Post

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Valentine Rose Planetary Nebula, M.J. Post