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> NGC 5189, a weird planetary nebula

NGC 5189, a weird planetary nebula

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

reference: a-nep51-89001

Image Size 300 DPI: 51 * 40 cm

The peculiarity of NGC 5189 lies in its astonishingly complex structure, first noted by Sir John Herschel, who discovered it in 1835. Seen through the telescope it seems to have an 'S' shape, reminiscent of a barred spiral galaxy, hence its popular name. This is seen in the colour photograph as the central greenish part. Deep photographs such as this show many filaments, rather more reminiscent of the Crab nebula, a supernova remnant, than a planetary nebula. Unlike the Crab nebula, NGC 5189 is remarkably symmetrical. Distances to planetary nebulae are notoriously difficult to measure, but this one is estimated to be about 3000 light years away.

Keywords for this photo:

AAO - ASTRONOMY - EVOLUTION - MUSCA - NEBULA - NGC 5189 - PLANETARY NEBULA - POSTER - SIDING SPRING - SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE - STAR -