Hobby update #part 2 - Thor’s Helmet 🔭

[angerman@infosec.exchange]

Hobby update #part 2 - Thor’s Helmet

A recent astrophotography project: NGC 2359, better known as *Thor’s Helmet*, an emission nebula located in the constellation Canis Major, about 12,000 light-years from Earth and roughly 30 light-years across.

The nebula is shaped by the extreme stellar winds of the Wolf–Rayet star WR7 at its center. These rare, massive stars are incredibly hot and lose huge amounts of material through powerful winds. WR7 is believed to be in a relatively short-lived evolutionary phase before eventually ending its life as a supernova.

The distinctive “helmet” shape forms where those winds collide with surrounding gas and a nearby molecular cloud, creating the curved bow-shock structures visible in the image.

*Imaging details*

• Telescope: ZWO FF80 APO
• Mount: ZWO AM5N
• Camera: ZWO ASI585MC-P (Gain 200)
• Filter: Altair Ha/OIII Dual 4nm
• Guiding: ZWO ASI220MM mini
• Control: ASIAir Pro

Captured on 8 March
Integration: 55 × 180s (2h45m)
Calibration: 15 Darks, Flats, Dark Flats
Processing: AstroPixelProcessor

Some frames were discarded due to satellite trails, trees entering the field of view, and a few tracking artefacts - a fairly typical part of deep-sky imaging sessions. 🥹

Enjoy

#astrophotography #astronomy #deepsky #space #science #hobby