NGC 7009
Also known as the Saturn Nebula (because of an outer ring not visible in this image), NGC 7009 is a football-shaped planetary nebula. This image shows how the nebula appears in the infrared. By using the ALTAIR adaptive optics system on Gemini North, this image shows the nebula with a sharpness that rivals the Hubble Space Telescope.
| Observatory: | Gemini Observatory (North) Mauna Kea, Hawai'i |
|---|---|
| Telescope: | Gemini North |
| Instrument: | NIRI+Altair |
| Astronomer: | Gemini Observatory and T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage) |
| Date of Observation: | 10-09-2006 |
| Filters and Assigned Colors: | bracket gamma [2.1686 micron narrowband] (green), H2 2-1 S(1) [2.2465 micron narrowband] (blue) and K' [2.0-2.1 microns] (red) |
| Exposure Times: | 55x5sec in K, 55x20sec in Brgamma and H2 |
| Location of Image: | Aquarius |
| Field of View: | 40 x 40 arcseconds |
| Orientation: | North is up, east is to the left |
| Link to Larger Image | |
| Link to Full Resolution Image | |
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