NGC 7635: The Bubble Nebula
“A stunning close-up of the Bubble Nebula, a cosmic bubble blown by the fierce stellar winds of a massive central star, cropped from a wider field of view.”
This image highlights NGC 7635, famously known as the Bubble Nebula, located in the constellation Cassiopeia. The delicate, glowing sphere is actually a cavity blown out of the surrounding molecular cloud by the intense stellar winds and radiation from a massive, hot central star (BD+60°2522). The fierce interaction between the expanding bubble and the denser surrounding material creates the sharp, luminous edges visible in this deep capture.
Note: This image is a detailed crop taken from the wider field capture of the Lobster Claw Nebula (Sh2-157) and its surrounding region.
William Herschel discovered NGC 7635 in November 1787. The bubble has a radius of 3 to 5 light-years and the nebula spans about 15 by 8 arcminutes. Its central star, SAO 20575 (BD+60°2522), has a magnitude of 8.7 and a mass of about 44 solar masses. Estimates of the distance vary widely, from 7,100 to 11,000 light-years.
Stacked and processed in PixInsight.
Equipment
Integration
| Filter | Subs |
|---|---|
| Ha | 20 x 600s (3h 20m) |
| R | 10 x 180s (30m) |
| G | 10 x 180s (30m) |
| B | 10 x 180s (30m) |