BBW56 is another under appreciated region near the center of the massive Gum nebula complex. The Gum nebula was originally thought to be a very large supernova remnant, but current research suggests that it may be a highly evolved Ha region.
The entire region including BBW56 is being blasted by very powerful solar winds that are emanating from supergiant O-type stars Gamma 2 Velorum and Zeta Pup, and the Vela SNR. The BBW56 structure itself is a dense molecular cloud that is being eroded and ionized by these fierce winds. It is not rising up as it visually appears, rather it is fighting against these winds and being stripped away.
I drew inspiration from
@Mathew Ludgate's stunning rendition of this object. His write up is extremely detailed and if you are interested in learning more I suggest you check out his image and write up.
Processing this one was challenging. There is not a lot of variation in the HA and S2 signals. And while there is a clear O3 signal, it is a large and diffuse bubble with little detail and low surface brightness. I was careful to image the O3 frames while the target was high and the moon was well below the horizon. I choose to stretch the individual narrow band stacks before combining them to allow myself more control over the result, especially with the O3 which tends to wash out detail if you are not careful.
This color pallet is a bit of a departure for me utilizing a lot more green than I typically would. I think early on I learned that green is bad, and I find myself eliminating greens in most images. However, I think it works here as this is not a typical image. In order to highlight the beautiful undulating details in the scene, I think you need to utilize a more dynamic color pallet. Especially with the general lack of variation in the Ha and S2 signals.
I hope you like it.
CS
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