Helix Nebula (NGC 7293)
One of the nearest planetary nebulae – low above the southern horizon.
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Buy in the shopAbout the object
The Helix (NGC 7293) in Aquarius is about 650 light years away, making it one of the nearest planetary nebulae. From Slovakia it climbs only about 20 degrees above the southern horizon, so its light passes through a thick layer of atmosphere. The blue-green centre glows with oxygen, the red ring with hydrogen and nitrogen.
How the image was made
- Captured
- 24 August 2025
- Total exposure
- 1 h 50 min (22 × 300 s)
- Camera
- ZWO ASI2600MC Pro
- Focal length
- 2 759 mm
- Mount
- Celestron (ovládač CGEM/CGX)
- Location
- Banská Bystrica, Slovakia (home observatory)
- Calibration & stacking
- Siril 1.4.0-beta3
- Processing
- Adobe Lightroom 8.5 (Windows)
Data from the original file’s metadata or from the author.