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> The planetary nebula NGC 2438 in NGC 2437 (M46)

The planetary nebula NGC 2438 in NGC 2437 (M46)

author: Anglo-Australian Observatory/David Malin Images/Novapix

reference: a-aou24-37004

Image Size 300 DPI: 51 * 40 cm

The open cluster NGC 2437 (M46) has an angular diameter of almost half a degree and is quite beautiful in even quite a modest telescope. It has an integrated magnitude of about 6 and so is on the threshold of naked-eye visibility. The cluster is quite old as these things go, about 300 million light years. It is about 5000 light years distant, in the northern part of the constellation of Puppis. Though planetary nebula distances are notoriously difficult to measure, NGC 2438 seems to be in the foreground and is not connected to the cluster. Planetaries are in any case the result of the demise of an old, low mass stars and are thus not seen in relatively young open clusters.  

Keywords for this photo:

1993 - AAO - ASTRONOMY - M46 - NGC 2437 - NGC 2438 - OPEN CLUSTER - PLANETARY NEBULA - POSTER - PUPPIS - SIDING SPRING - SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE - STAR - STAR CLUSTER -