The planetary nebula Abell 33 captured using ESO's Very Large Telescope
Astronomers using ESO’s Very Large Telescope in Chile have captured this eye-catching image of planetary nebula Abell 33. Created when an aging star blew off its outer layers, this beautiful blue bubble is, by chance, aligned with a foreground star, and bears an uncanny resemblance to a diamond engagement ring. This cosmic gem is unusually symmetric, appearing to be almost perfectly circular on the sky.
Credit:ESO
About the Image
| Id: | eso1412a |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 9 April 2014, 12:00 |
| Related releases: | eso1412 |
| Size: | 3446 x 3460 px |
About the Object
| Name: | Abell 33 |
| Type: | Milky Way : Nebula : Type : Planetary |
| Distance: | 2500 light years |
| Constellation: | Hydra |
| Category: | Nebulae |
Wallpapers
Coordinates
| Position (RA): | 9 39 4.14 |
| Position (Dec): | -2° 50' 22.55" |
| Field of view: | 7.22 x 7.25 arcminutes |
| Orientation: | North is 0.3° right of vertical |
View in WorldWide Telescope:
Colours & filters
| Band | Telescope |
|---|---|
| Optical OIII | Very Large Telescope FORS2 |
| Optical B | Very Large Telescope FORS2 |
| Optical V | Very Large Telescope FORS2 |
| Optical R | Very Large Telescope FORS2 |
| Optical H-alpha | Very Large Telescope FORS2 |