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Coordinates: Sky map 22h 29m 38.55s, −20° 50′ 13.6″
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* [http://www.nightskyinfo.com/archive/helix_planetary_nebula NightSkyInfo.com – NGC 7293, the Helix Nebula]
* [http://www.nightskyinfo.com/archive/helix_planetary_nebula NightSkyInfo.com – NGC 7293, the Helix Nebula]
* [http://www.snopes.com/photos/space/eyeofgod.asp Snopes.com; Helix Eye of God Urban Legend]
* [http://www.snopes.com/photos/space/eyeofgod.asp Snopes.com; Helix Eye of God Urban Legend]
* [http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/spitzer/multimedia/pia15817.html NASA/JPL-Caltech]
* {{WikiSky|name=The Helix Nebula}}
* {{WikiSky|name=The Helix Nebula}}
{{Sky|22|29|38.55|-|20|50|13.6|695}}
{{Sky|22|29|38.55|-|20|50|13.6|695}}

Revision as of 18:35, 8 October 2012

For the different but similarly named nebula, see Double Helix Nebula.
"Eye of God" redirects here. For other uses, see Eye of God (disambiguation).
Helix Nebula
Nebula
Iridescent Glory of Nearby Helix Nebula
Helix Nebula taken by the Hubble Space Telescope
Observation data: J2000 epoch
Right ascension22h 29m 38.55s[1]
Declination−20° 50′ 13.6″[1]
Distance695+98
−52 ly (213+30
−16 pc)[2][3][4][a] ly
Apparent magnitude (V)+7.6[1]
Apparent dimensions (V)25′[5]
ConstellationAquarius
Physical characteristics
Radius2.87 ly (0.88 pc)[5] ly
Absolute magnitude (V)6.58[b]
Notable featuresOne of nearest PNs
DesignationsNGC 7293[1] Caldwell 63[6]
See also: Lists of nebulae

The Helix Nebula (also known as The Helix, NGC 7293, or Caldwell 63) is a large planetary nebula (PN) located in the constellation Aquarius. Discovered by Karl Ludwig Harding, probably before 1824, this object is one of the closest to the Earth of all the bright planetary nebulae.[7] The estimated distance is about 215 parsecs or 700 light-years. It is similar in appearance to the Ring Nebula, whose size, age, and physical characteristics are similar to the Dumbbell Nebula, varying only in its relative proximity and the appearance from the equatorial viewing angle.[2] The Helix has often been referred to as the Eye of God on the Internet, since about 2003.[8]

General information

The Helix Nebula is an example of a planetary nebula, or 'planetary' formed at the end of a star's evolution. Gases from the star in the surrounding space appear, from our vantage point, as if we are looking down a helix structure. The remnant central stellar core, known as a planetary nebula nucleus or PNN, is destined to become a white dwarf star. The observed glow of the central star is so energetic that it causes the previously expelled gases to brightly fluoresce.

The Helix Nebula in the constellation of Aquarius lies about 700 light-years away, spanning about 0.8 parsec or 2.5 light-years. Recent images by the Hubble Space Telescope of the Helix Nebula are a composite of newly released images from the ACS instrument and the wide-angle images from the Mosaic Camera on the WIYN 0.9-metre telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory.

Currently, the age is estimated to be 10,600+2,300
−1,200 years, based solely upon a measured expansion rate of 31 km·s−1.[2]

Structure

The Helix Nebula is thought to be shaped like a prolate spheroid with strong density concentrations toward the filled disk along the equatorial plane, whose major axis is inclined about 21° to 37° from our vantage point. The size of the inner disk is 8×19 arcmin in diameter (0.52 pc); the outer torus is 12×22 arcmin in diameter (0.77 pc); and the outer-most ring is about 25 arcmin in diameter (1.76 pc). We see the outer-most ring as flattened on one side due to its colliding with the ambient interstellar medium.

Expansion of the whole planetary nebula structure is estimated to have occurred in the last 6,560 years, and 12,100 years for the inner disk[citation needed]. Spectroscopically, the outer ring's expansion rate is 40 km·s−1, and about 32 km·s−1 for the inner disk.

This zoom sequence starts with a wide-field view of the rather empty region of sky around the constellation of Aquarius.
This video compares a new view of the Helix Nebula acquired with the VISTA telescope in infrared light with the more familiar view in visible light from the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory.
  • NGC7293 (2004)
    NGC7293 (2004)
  • Infrared image of the Helix Nebula, taken by the Spitzer space telescope, 2007<ref name="Suetal2007">{{Cite journal
    Infrared image of the Helix Nebula, taken by the Spitzer space telescope, 2007<ref name="Suetal2007">{{Cite journal

Knots

NGC 7293 taken by VISTA.

The Helix Nebula was the first planetary nebula discovered to contain cometary knots.[9] Its main ring contains knots of nebulosity, which have now been detected in many nearby planetaries. These knots are highly radially symmetric (from the PNN) and are described as "cometary", each containing bright cusps (local photoionization fronts) and tails. All extend away from the PNN in a radial direction. Excluding the tails, they are (very approximately) the size of the Solar system, while each of the cusp knots are optically thick due to Lyc photons from the (PNN).[2][5][10] There are more than 20,000 cometary knots estimated to be in the Helix Nebula.[4]

The excitation temperature varies across the Helix nebula.[4] The rotational-vibrational temperature ranges from 1800 K in a cometary knot located in the inner region of the nebula are about 2.5′ (arcmin) from the central PNN, calculated at about 900 K in the outer region at the distance of 5.6′.[4]

See also

Notes

Footnotes

  1. ^ average(207+46
    −24    ,[2] 219+27
    −21    [3]) = ((207 + 219) / 2) +((462 + 402)0.5 / 2)
    −((242 + 212)0.5 / 2)     = 213+30
    −16
  2. ^ 13.5 apparent magnitude - 5 * (log10(242 pc distance) - 1) = 6.58 absolute magnitude

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d "SIMBAD Astronomical Database". Results for Helix Nebula. Retrieved 2006-12-07.
  2. ^ a b c d e O'Dell, C. R.; Balick, B.; Hajian, A. R.; Henney, W. J.; Burkert, A. (2002). "Knots in Nearby Planetary Nebulae". The Astronomical Journal. 123 (6): 3329–3347. Bibcode:2002AJ....123.3329O. doi:10.1086/340726.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ a b Harris, Hugh C.; Dahn, Conard C.; Canzian, Blaise; Guetter, Harry H.; Leggett, S. K.; Levine, Stephen E.; Luginbuhl, Christian B.; Monet, Alice K. B.; Monet, David G.; Pier, Jeffrey R.; Stone, Ronald C.; Tilleman, Trudy; Vrba, Frederick J.; Walker, Richard L. (February 2007). "Trigonometric Parallaxes of Central Stars of Planetary Nebulae". The Astronomical Journal. 133 (2): 631–638. arXiv:astro-ph/0611543. Bibcode:2007AJ....133..631H. doi:10.1086/510348.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ a b c d Matsuura, M.; Speck, A. K.; Smith, M. D.; Zijlstra, A. A.; Viti, S.; Lowe, K. T. E.; Redman, M.; Wareing, C. J.; Lagadec, E. (December 2007). "VLT/near-infrared integral field spectrometer observations of molecular hydrogen lines in the knots of the planetary nebula NGC 7293 (the Helix Nebula)". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 382 (4): 1447–1459. arXiv:0709.3065. Bibcode:2007MNRAS.382.1447M. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.12496.x.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  5. ^ a b c O'Dell, C. R.; McCullough, Peter R.; Meixner, Margaret (2004). "Unraveling the Helix Nebula: Its Structure and Knots". The Astronomical Journal. 128 (5): 2339–2356. arXiv:astro-ph/0407556. Bibcode:2004AJ....128.2339O. doi:10.1086/424621.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ O'Meara, Stephen James (2002). The Caldwell Objects. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-82796-5.
  7. ^ Hora, Joseph L.; Latter, William B.; Smith, Howard A.; Marengo, Massimo (2006). "Infrared Observations of the Helix Planetary Nebula". The Astrophysical Journal. 652 (1): 426–441. arXiv:astro-ph/0607541. Bibcode:2006ApJ...652..426H. doi:10.1086/507944.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "Urban Legends Reference Pages". The Eye of God. Retrieved 2007-07-16.
  9. ^ http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080413.html
  10. ^ O'dell, C. R.; Balick, B.; Hajian, A. R.; Henney, W. J.; Burkert, A. (2003). "Knots in Planetary Nebulae". Winds, Bubbles, and Explosions: a conference to honor John Dyson, Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, México, September 9–13, 2002 (Eds. S. J. Arthur & W. J. Henney) Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica (Serie de Conferencias) (http://www.astroscu.unam.mx/~rmaa/). 15: 29–33. Bibcode:2003RMxAC..15...29O. {{cite journal}}: External link in |journal= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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