M57
Ring Nebula in Lyra

10.1″ f/4.5, Mallincam DS432cTEC with 0.5 focal reducer
Exposure = 1.4 sec, Live Stacked frames = 351, Gain = 95 of 250

A spectacular planetary nebula, the Ring Nebula appears approximately 3 arcminutes across in this view. Slightly oval-shaped, brightest along the upper and lower outer edges, looking somewhat like a smoke ring. The edges on the east and west sides appear to bleed into the background with subtle undulations that seem to be partially transparent. Pretty much the entire spectrum of colours from red to blue can be seen from the outer to inner portions of the ring. The 15th magnitude central white dwarf star is clearly visible in the middle, along with another star to the upper-right and some cloudy knots. Another star is visible to the lower right near the outer edge of the ring, presumably in the foreground. The Ring Nebula is about 2.6 light years across, 2300 light years away, and 7000 years old.

North at 11 o’clock, East at 8 o’clock
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