Open Star Cluster M46 (NGC 2437), and Planetary Nebula NGC 2438

Open Star Cluster M46 (NGC 2437), and planetary nebula NGC 2438, located in the constellation Puppis. (TheSky, Software Bisque)

NGC 2438 is a double shelled planetary nebula. It formed during the death of a Sun-like star. As the star began to die, running out of nuclear fuel, it expelled its outer layers of gas into space and created the spherical glowing nebula we see in this image. The bright point of light at the center of the nebula is a white dwarf, the evolutionary end product of what was once that Sun-like star. (NASA)

NGC 2438 appears superimposed over the open star cluster M46, although it is almost certainly not a member of the cluster, but a foreground object. The NASA Hubble Space Telescope imaged the planetary nebula NGC 2438, which is located in front of the open star cluster M46. Most of the stars in this image are part of M46 and are roughly 5,400 light-years away, 2,400 light years behind the nebula. (NASA)

Image processed by Andrew Macica, original data from Telescope Live.

Imaging Details:

Observatory: Rio Hurtado Valley, Chile

Telescope: Planewave CDK24

Aperture: 610 mm (24 inches), f/6.5

Focal Length: 3962 mm

Camera: FLI PL 9000 CCD

Filters: LRGB

Total Exposure: 1 hours 24 min.

Image Processing: PixInsight 1.8.9-3 Ripley (x64);

BlurXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator (RC Astro);

Adobe Photoshop 25.12.4

Adobe Lightroom Classic 15.1.1

Instruction on PixInsight from Adam Block Studios.