NGC 6302

 BIPOLAR PLANETARY NEBULA (AKA THE BUG NEBULA)    

(Image centered at: ra 17 h:13 m / dec - 37º 06')

June 2023, Home Backyard in Martinez, Buenos Aires, Argentina

DATA

TYPE: Planetary Nebula

APPARENT DIAMETER: > 3 arc minutes

APPARENT MAGNITUDE (V): 7.1

DISTANCE: 3400 light years

IMAGE INFORMATION

INSTRUMENT: 6" ORION OPTICS UK (Ultra Grade Optics) w/Sky Watcher Coma Corrector (0.9x) working at at f4.5

CAMERA: QHY 183 MONO

MOUNT: SKY WATCHER NEQ6, OAG with Starlight Xpress Lodestar

FILTERS: Optolong LRGB Set

SKY CONDITIONS: urban skies - Bortle 8

EXPOSURES: LRGB (120,60,60,60)

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OBJECT DESCRIPTION AND IMAGE SESSION

Also known by the nickname "Bug Nebula" NGC 6302 is interesting object located in the Constellation of Scorpius. There are studies of this object from 1888. In 1907 Edward Barnard draw and described the nebula. Is one of the most complex planetary nebulas known. The central star can not be seen in visible light, but is extremely hot: with a temperature over 200.000 kelvin. The star is throwing off outer envelopes of gas in a strong stellar wind. This bipolar will continue to shine a few more thousands years. After its central star will fade and become a white dwarf. 

This image was processed with Russell Croman Photoshop Plug Ins.