Russell Croman Astrophotography  

 

 

The Bubble Nebula


About This Photograph

The enigmatic Bubble Nebula is true to its name. Were it not for a peculiar type of very hot star situated within it, this would other wise be a fairly run-of-the-mill emission nebula. But the star, known as a Wolf-Rayet star, issues forth an unusually powerful stellar wind. This stream of particles slams into the gas and dust of the nebula, literally blowing a vast bubble in space. The physical size is mind-boggling: the nebula is roughly 7,100 light years away, and the bubble itself is about 6.2 light years across, a bit over 36 trillion miles.

 

Technical Details

Optics:14" f/10 RCOS Ritchey-Chrétien Cassegrain at f/7,Takahashi FRC-300 focal reducer.
Camera:SBIG ST-10XME, CFW-8, AO-7.
Mount:RGB: Takahashi NJP Temma 2.Ha: AP1200GTO.
Filters:SBIG standard RGB, Custom Scientific 3nm H-alpha.
Dates/Times:28, 29 September, 29 October 2003.
Location:my backyard observatory in Austin, Texas.
Exposure Details:RGB = 205:30:30 minutes (5-minute sub-exposures).Ha = 2.5 hours (30-minute sub-exposures).