Sh2-308, also known as the Dolphin Nebula, is a large, faint emission nebula located in the constellation Canis Major, approximately 4,500 light-years away. This expansive bubble-shaped structure is formed by the strong stellar winds of the Wolf-Rayet star EZ Canis Majoris (EZ CMa), which is shedding its outer layers in the final stages of its evolution. The nebula's predominant oxygen emission gives it a characteristic bluish hue, contrasting against the surrounding interstellar medium.

Expanding at nearly 60 km/s, Sh2-308 spans over 60 light-years in diameter, making it one of the largest Wolf-Rayet bubbles known. Its tenuous gas shell, primarily composed of ionized oxygen, offers a glimpse into the late evolutionary stages of massive stars before they eventually explode as supernovae. Capturing this nebula requires long integration times and narrowband imaging, particularly in OIII, to reveal its faint and complex bubble-like structure.

Image Description and Details :

NGC 2170, LRGB 300:300:300:300, total 20 hours

A dusty reflection nebula and stellar nursery that formed about 6 to 10 million years ago, located at the edge of the elliptically shaped, giant star-forming molecular cloud Monoceros R2 (Mon R2), some 2,700 light-years away in the constellation of Monoceros.

Telescope : Planewave CDK 17, Camera : SBIG STXL 11002 with AOX, Tracking : Paramount ME

Location : Observatorio El Sauce, Chile
Image processing software : Pixinsight, Photoshop

Copyright:
Image captured : Martin Pugh
Image processing : Rocco Sung

Image Description and Details :

NGC 4753
L=460:R=360:G=330:B=360, total 25.2 hours
Telescope : Planewave CDK 17, Camera : SBIG STXL 11002 with AOX, Tracking : Paramount ME
Image capture : Martin Pugh
Image processing : Rocco Sung
Location : Observatorio El Sauce, Chile



Copyright: Rocco Sung & Martin Pugh