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2025, February 2025 Charles Lillo 2025, February 2025 Charles Lillo

StDr 35 with Enigmatic WeSb 1 and Its Unusual Nucleus

Captured over 172 hours and 42 minutes in Ha, OIII, and RGB, this deep exposure showcases the planetary nebula StDr 35 alongside the enigmatic WeSb 1, an object with an unusually structured nucleus that remains poorly understood. Located in the rich star fields of Fregenal de la Sierra, Spain, this region presents a fascinating interplay between ionized gas and intricate stellar evolution processes.

WeSb 1 is particularly intriguing due to its non-standard morphology and spectral characteristics, suggesting a complex formation history. The central structure, likely influenced by a binary progenitor or interactions with surrounding interstellar material, exhibits unusual emission-line ratios that distinguish it from more typical planetary nebulae. The deep integration time in this image has allowed for the resolution of delicate outer shell structures and the faint ionized halos surrounding these nebulae, shedding light on the late evolutionary stages of their central stars. This observation contributes to ongoing efforts to understand the role of rare planetary nebulae in galactic chemical enrichment and stellar remnant dynamics.

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