Sh2-308- Dolphin Nebula -

Sh2-308 AUS-2-CMOS HSO 2023-24

Ha89x300s, OIII82x300, 81x300s

Tot.: 21 h

AstroPixelProcessor, PixInsight, Photoshop

Sh2-308, also known as the Dolphin-Head Nebula, is an ionized hydrogen (H II) region in the constellation Canis Major that forms a bubble-like structure around the massive Wolf-Rayet star EZ Canis Majoris. This nebula is located approximately 4,530 to 5,200 light-years away and was created by the fast stellar winds from the central star, which have swept up and compressed surrounding gas.

The bubble is formed by the intense stellar winds from EZ Canis Majoris, which are moving at speeds up to 1,700 km/s. When these high-velocity winds collide with slower-moving gas expelled by the star during an earlier red supergiant phase, they create a shockwave that compresses the gas and forms the nebula.