The photo above was taken with a Starlight Xpress CCD camera and a Sky-Watcher Esprit 150 telescope. As you can see from this annotated wide-angle image, there are not many deep sky objects in the immediate vicinity of NGC 2359. The photo above was taken with a Starlight Xpress CCD camera and a Sky-Watcher Esprit 150 telescope. As you can see from this annotated wide field image, there are not many deep sky objects in the immediate vicinity of NGC 2359. The image was taken through 6nm Astronomik narrow band filters (Ha and OIII). In fact, the helmet is more like an interstellar bubble, with a fast wind from the bright, massive star near the centre of the bubble blowing up a region in the surrounding molecular cloud.
Wikipedia The Thor helmet lies about 15,000 light years from Earth.
What type of object is NGC 2359?
It is an emission nebula powered by a Wolf-Rayet star (WR , seen in the centre of the bluish region). The nebula is about 3,670 parsecs (11.96 thousand light years) away and 30 light years across. For this reason, ngc 2359 may be referred to as the Duck Nebula rather than the Thor-Helm Ne bula in planetarium software such as SkySafari. The bubble shape was formed by the strong stellar winds (very fast charged particles, mainly protons).
It is similar in nature to the Bubble Nebula, but interactions with a nearby large molecular cloud are thought to have contributed to the more complex shape and curved arc shock structure of Thor’s Helm.
Where is NGC 2359 located?
This ring-shaped nebula is formed by the interaction between the stellar wind of a central Wolf-Rayet star and interstellar matter. NGC 2359, also called Thor’s Helmet Nebula, is an emission nebula1 in the constellation Canis Major, the Great Dog. With its round shape and wing-like, thread-like structures, this visually stunning nebula bears a striking resemblance to the helmet worn in battle by Thor, the famous Norse god of thunder. Thor’s helmet is made of cosmic dust and gas, which astrophotography gives a blue-green appearance.
However, you can see that Thor’s helmet is divided into several parts (NGC 2359 and NGC 236) and includes a nearby open star cluster (NGC 237). This ring-shaped nebula is formed by the interaction between the stellar wind of a central Wolf-Rayet star and interstellar matter. However, it can be seen that Thor’s Helmet is divided into several parts (NGC 2359 and NGC 236) and includes a nearby open star cluster (NGC 237). The remarkably detailed image is a mixed cocktail of data from broadband and narrowband filters, capturing natural-looking stars and the glow of the nebula’s filament-like structures.
In which constellation is Thor’s Helmet located?
The nebula is commonly known as Thor’s Hel met because of its remarkable resemblance to representations of the headgear of the famous Norse god of thunder and lightning. NGC 2359, also called the Thor’s Helmet Nebula, is an emission nebula1 in the constellation Canis Major, the Great Dog. If you want to see more of the nebula, you’ll need to attach a filter to a powerful telescope, and only then will you be able to make out the iconic shape of the Helmet. Interactions with a nearby large molecular cloud are thought to have contributed to Thor’s Helmet’s more complex shape and curved arc shock structure.
Where is the Thor’s Helmet nebula located?
The sharp image, taken with broadband and narrowband filters, shows impressive details of the nebula’s filamentary gas and dust structures. The following video from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) offers an incredible view of the Thor’s Helmet Nebula. The star map below shows the location of the Thor’s Helmet Nebula and its proximity to the star Sirius. For this reason, ngc 2359 is referred to as the Duck Ne bula rather than the Thor’s Helmet Nebula in some planetarium programmes such as SkySafari.
In reality, the Helmet is more likely an interstellar bubble blown by a fast wind – emanating from the bright star near the centre of the bubble’s blue-coloured region – through a surrounding molecular cloud. This star, a Wolf-Rayet star, is a massive and extremely hot giant star that is thought to be in a short, pre-supernova stage of evolution.
