- NGC 7293 Helix Nebula
NGC 7293 is a large, bright planetary nebula located in the constellation Aquarius. At a distance of around 714 LY, it is one of the closest planetary nebulas. It was discovered by Karl Ludwig Harding, probably before 1824. The nebula is thought to be around 10,600 years old, and has a physical diameter of around 5.7 LY.
The name "Helix" comes from the appearance of the nebula, where the outer regions appear to form a helical coil oriented in the general direction of the viewer. The coil appears to make almost two complete turns. This shape is most easily seen in the red spectral band. The actual physical shape of the nebula is an ellipsoid oriented along the direction of the "coils". The central star in the Helix shines at a magnitude of 13.5. A barely visible arc of dimly glowing gas can be seen in my image to the upper left of the main body of the nebula. This arc is thought to be due to an earlier ejection of stellar material prior to the main burst that caused the nebula.
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