Located approximately 15,000 light-years away, in the constellation
Canis Major, is an emission nebula known as Thor's Helmet or NGC 2359.
This object also has the designations Sh2-298 and Gum 4. Thor's Helmet
is about 30 light years in size and has a Wolf-Rayet star at its center
that is said to be in a brief, pre-supernova stage. Interactions with a
nearby large molecular cloud are thought to have contributed to the
more complex shape and curved bow-shock structure of this nebula.
Telescope: Celestron 8” EdgeHD @ f/10
Accessories: Dew control by Dew Buster
Mount: Takahashi EM-200 Temma2
Camera: QSI583wsg CCD @ -25.0C
Guiding: Starlight Xpress Lodestar via PHD
Filters: Astrodon Tru-balance E-Series Generation II LRGB
Exposure: 40 x 6min.(L); 14 x 6min.(R); 14 x 6min.(G); 14 x 6min.(B)
Acquisition: ImagesPlus Camera Control v4.3
Processing: Calibration, DDP in ImagesPlus 4.5; Registration in RegiStar
Post-processing: ImagesPlus 4.5; Adobe Photoshop CS5; Carboni’s Actions; Gradient XTerminator
Date(s): February 11, 12, 2011
SQM reading (begin - end): N1:19.10 - 18.90; N2:19.08 - 19.23
Temperature (begin - end): N1:23.0ºF - 17.1ºF; N2:30.0ºF - 21.9ºF
Capture conditions: N1 - transparency: Above average 4/5; seeing: Poor 2/5 N2 - transparency: Average 3/5; seeing: Average 3/5
Location: Hendersonville, TN, USA