NGC 246

This object is a planetary nebula, a region of gas formed when a red giant or a supergiant star sheds its outer layers. The central star is very hot and the ultra-violet light emitted by it causes the surrounding gas to glow. The central star in this case is a double star. To bring out the detail in the nebula, the stars had to be greatly overexposed during the processing. The stars' images were removed and replaced by using a Luminance Layer made from an exposure of the nebula through a hydrogen-alpha filter in order to show the central double star. This image is also number 56 in the Caldwell catalogue and is sometimes known as "The Skull Nebula."

Image captured using 60 second exposures through red, green and blue filters, plus an additional 60 second exposure in hydrogen-alpha.

Copyright © Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network.

NGC7479 lies in the constellation Cetus. It is also visible from our latitudes.	Move your mouse over the image to see the positions of some of the distant background galaxies which have been detected. One is visible through the nebula.