Strottner-Drechsler 163 / PNG 184.4+05.4

Image Description and Details : Strottner-Drechsler 163 / PNG 184.4+05.4

This candidate planetary nebula was discovered by our team in August 2022.
StDr 163 in the constellation Gemini is without doubt one of the most beautiful objects in the StDr catalogue.
The remarkable aspect of this nebula is that we can literally watch the structure expand.
The hot star in the centre is surrounded by a constantly growing envelope of ionised oxygen (OIII).
Gently, the blue OIII core breaks through the red cocoon of ionised hydrogen (H-alpha).
It is not known whether the reddish halo area around the nebula, which resembles two wings, belongs to the object itself, or whether it is interstellar material that is ionised and excited to glow by the potential white dwarf in the centre.
Discovery by my amazing friends Xavier Strottner and Marcel Drechsler. Data capture by myself and Sven Eklund from our remote observatories in Spain. Image processing by Marcel Drechsler.
Scopes: APM TMB LZOS 152 Refractors and Celestron C14 Edge HD
Cameras: QSI6120wsg8 and ZWO ASI6200MM Pro
Mounts: 10Micron GM2000 HPS and iOptron CEM120
A total of 76 hours 40 minutes (HaOIIIRGB)
More information at

Copyright: Copyright: Peter Goodhew, Sven Eklund, Xavier Strottner, Marcel Drechsler