NGC 2359 is a cosmic cloud in the shape of a winged helmet, commonly known as Thor’s helmet. Impressive in size even for a northern god, Thor’s helmet measures about 30 light-years in diameter. In fact, the helmet looks more like an interstellar bubble, blown by the rapid wind of the massive and bright star in the center of the bubble, swelling a region located in the surrounding molecular cloud. Known as the Wolf-Rayet star, it is an extremely hot giant that would be in a brief stage of the stellar evolution preceding the supernova explosion. NGC 2359 is located about 15,000 light-years away, in the constellation of the Great Dog. This remarkably detailed image is a combination of data from wideband and narrowband filters to capture the natural appearance of stars and the glow of the filamentary structures of the nebula. It highlights a blue-green color from a high emission of oxygen atoms in the glowing gas.
Télescope : TS-Optics 300mm/12″ ONTC f/4 Newtonian (carbon tube)
Camera: QHYCCD QHY294 MM PRO
Mont: Ioptron CEM120
Filters:
– Chroma H-alpha 3nm Bandpass 36 mm
– Chroma OIII 3nm Bandpass 36mm
Frames:
Chroma H-alpha 3nm Bandpass 36 mm: 158×300″(13h 10′) (gain: 1600.00) -25°C
Chroma OIII 3nm Bandpass 36 mm: 159×300″(13h 15′) (gain: 1600.00) -25°C
Integration: 26h25