NGC 5307 illustration
NGC 5307 is a planetary nebula in the constellation Centaurus, about 8000 light years away. In the center of the nebula, which has a diameter of approximately 0.6 light years, a white dwarf is located which illuminates the gas from within.
The nebula itself has a spiral structure - as shown in the illustration - which may have been caused by the white star wobbling as it expelled jets of gas in different directions. NGC 5307 also shows a “point-symmetric” structure, what means that almost every blob has a counterpart on the opposite side of the central star.
Credit:NASA & ESA
About the Image
About the Object
Name: | IRAS 13478-5057, NGC 5307 |
Type: | Milky Way : Nebula : Type : Planetary |
Distance: | 8000 light years |
Category: | Nebulae |
Colours & filters
Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
---|---|---|
Optical V | 555 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2 |
Infrared I | 814 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2 |