Planetary Nebula IC 5148 in the constellation Grus
The ring-shaped planetary nebula appears like a celestial eye in the constellation Grus. Due to the central darker zone, the name “spare tire nebula” has been established - unfortunately I have not yet found out the story behind the naming.
The nebula's gases expand at a very high speed of 50 km/s, which is one of the highest expansion rates for planetary nebulae.
With the help of the OIII and Hα filters, the faint halo around the bright inner part of the nebula also became visible. The central star had already ejected these ring-shaped layers of gas in earlier times.
Chosen as Amateur Astronomy Photo of the Day on 6 Jan 2025.
| Date: | 08.10.-27.11.2024 |
| Optics: | Planewave CDK 14 with Televue 0.8x reducer |
| Aperture: | 350 mm |
| Focal Length: | 2050 mm |
| Camera: | QHY268M |
| Exposure: | R:G:B 30:30:30 x 600 s Hα:OIII 106:99 x 600 s |
| Location: | Gemsbock Observatory, Rooisand Desert Ranch, Namibia |
| Processing: | PixInsight, Photoshop |
| Diameter: | 7 light years |
| Distance: | 4,200 light years |
