Observation by Peter Goodhew FRAS: M 2-25 and it's elusive fractured bow-sh...

Uploaded by

Peter Goodhew FRAS

Observer

Peter Goodhew FRAS

Observed

2023 Oct 11 - 14:27

Uploaded

2023 Oct 18 - 14:30

Planetarium overlay

Enable overlay
Show stars
Label stars
Show deep sky objects
Label deep sky objects
Show constellation boundaries
Show constellation sticks
Show constellation labels
Show RA/Dec grid

Constellation

Cepheus

Field centre

RA: 23^h32^m
Dec: +70°22'
Position angle: +0°01'

Field size

0°15' × 0°10'

Equipment

APM TMB LZOS 152 Refractors
QSI6120 CCD Cameras
10Micron GM2000 HPS mount

Exposure

115 hours HaOIIIRGB

Location

Fregenal de la Sierra, Spain

Target name

M 2-55

Title

M 2-25 and it's elusive fractured bow-shock front

About this image

M 2-55 is an evolved rarely-imaged planetary nebula in the constellation Cepheus. It was first discovered and identified by the German-American astronomer Rudolph Minkowski on photographic plates at Mount Wilson in 1947. The plates were taken by W.C. Miller with a 10" f/5.2 refractor.
IM 2-55 possesses two sets of bipolar lobes.
It was only in 2020 that a team of Chinese professional astronomers detected an arc of material running from the SE to the SSW. (Chih-Hao Hsia et. al, March 13th 2020, “Discovery of Extended Structures around Two Evolved Planetary Nebulae M 2-55 and Abell 2”). They concluded that this arc was furnishing strong evidence for an interaction of the expanding nebula of \m 2-55 with its surrounding interstellar material. The presence of fragmentation in the arc may be the result of a phenomenon known as Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instabilities.

Files associated with this observation

M2-55 final.jpg (907.8 kB)

Like this image

Jonathon Elliott, Callum Wingrove, Callum Potter, Graham Winstanley, Peter Carson

Copyright of all images and other observations submitted to the BAA remains with the owner of the work. Reproduction of work by third parties is expressly forbidden without the consent of the copyright holder. By submitting images to this online gallery, you grant the BAA permission to reproduce them in any of our publications.

Registered charity no. 210769
Registered company no. 117572

For more information including contact details, click here.

Our Terms of Use are here.

Our Privacy Policy is here.