NGC 6720 (M57) - Ring Nebula

NGC 6720 - Ring Nebula

 The Ring Nebula is one of the best examples of a planetary nebula.  This is a result of a burned out star that the core imploded into a white dwarf the size of a planet and exploding the out shell off into space.  The energy from the white dwarf light's up the exploded gasses.  It is believed to be in the range of about 2000 light years away.  It is located in the constellation Lyrae and can be seen with binoculars but due to it's small angular size it appears as a star.  The angular diameter is only 1.4 arc minutes and can be seen with a telescope of greater than 100x.  It appears as a smoke ring.

Date:  05-23-01

Telescope: RC10.0 (.75x)        Camera:ST8XE

Exposure Time: LRGB 30min ;20min;20min;20min; 2x2bin

Processing: Maxim,reduced, DDP, Adobe combined