tagged with: space, nebulae, astronomy, outer space, planetary nebula, milky way galaxy, space exploration, universe, cosmic, science
This composite image of the Helix Nebula (also known as The Helix, NGC 7293, or Caldwell 63) was created from several images obtained using the the Wide Field Imager (WFI), an astronomical camera attached to the 2.2-metre Max-Planck Society/ESO telescope at the La Silla observatory in Chile. The blue-green glow in the centre of the Helix comes from oxygen atoms shining under effects of the intense ultraviolet radiation of the 120 000 degree Celsius central star and the hot gas. Further out from the star and beyond the ring of knots, the red colour from hydrogen and nitrogen is more prominent. A careful look at the central part of this object reveals not only the knots, but also many remote galaxies seen right through the thinly spread glowing gas. The nebula doesn't naturally appear with these colors, the tinting of the image is artifical. This image was created from images through blue, green and red filters and the total exposure times were 12 minutes, 9 minutes and 7 minutes respectively.
The name "Eye Of God" was coined by an admirer of the photo due to the nebula's resemblance to a human eye. The image was NASA's "Astronomy Picture of the Dat" for May 10th 2003.
Credit: ESO
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