RCW 58 is a dramatic emission nebula formed by the powerful stellar winds of the Wolf-Rayet star WR 4, located roughly 13,000 light years away in the constellation Carina. These winds expel the star’s outer layers into surrounding space, carving out the distinctive filamentary bubble seen in this image. The glowing gases are primarily hydrogen and oxygen, energized by intense ultraviolet radiation from the central star.
Captured using a personal telescope setup and the ZWO ASI 6200MM camera, this image represents 156 hours of exposure in a modified HOO-RVB palette. The red filaments trace ionized hydrogen, while the blue highlights areas of doubly ionized oxygen. Wolf-Rayet nebulae like RCW 58 are short-lived stages in the evolution of massive stars, providing a glimpse into the final, unstable phases before a potential supernova.
RCW 58 is a dramatic emission nebula formed by the powerful stellar winds of the Wolf-Rayet star WR 4, located roughly 13,000 light years away in the constellation Carina. These winds expel the star’s outer layers into surrounding space, carving out the distinctive filamentary bubble seen in this image. The glowing gases are primarily hydrogen and oxygen, energized by intense ultraviolet radiation from the central star.
Captured using a personal telescope setup and the ZWO ASI 6200MM camera, this image represents 156 hours of exposure in a modified HOO-RVB palette. The red filaments trace ionized hydrogen, while the blue highlights areas of doubly ionized oxygen. Wolf-Rayet nebulae like RCW 58 are short-lived stages in the evolution of massive stars, providing a glimpse into the final, unstable phases before a potential supernova.