NGC 2359 (IC 468)
Informally known as 'Thor's Helmet', NGC 2359 is a giant bubble that is being blown off of the Wolf-Rayet star HD 56925. Wolf-Rayet stars are extremely massive stars that are very hot and luminous. Their intense energy blows off the outer layers, causing the bubble shape seen here. The complex shape of the bubble is due to its interaction with dust and gas in which the star is embedded.
| Observatory: | WIYN Observatory Kitt Peak, Arizona |
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| Telescope: | WIYN 0.9-Meter |
| Instrument: | Mosaic I |
| Astronomer: | T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage) |
| Date of Observation: | 01-14-2001 |
| Filters and Assigned Colors: | Hydrogen-alpha (orange), Oxygen [OIII] (blue) and Sulfur [SII] (violet) |
| Exposure Times: | 5x5min in each filter |
| Location of Image: | Canis Major |
| Field of View: | 16.8 x 19.5 arcmin |
| Orientation: | North is left, East is down |
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| Link to Full Resolution Image | |
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