NGC 2899

NGC 2899

Emission nebula
Planetary nebula
NGC 2899, imaged by very large telescope
Observation data: J2000 epoch
Right ascension	09h 27m 03.2s[1]
Declination	−56° 06′ 21.1″[1]
Distance	3,350 ± 670 ly (1,026 ± 205 pc)[2] ly
Apparent magnitude (V)	11.8[3]
Apparent dimensions (V)	2.6′ × 1.3′[4]
Constellation	Vela
Designations	NGC 2899, Gum 27, PN G277.1-03.8[5]
See also: Lists of nebulae

NGC 2899 is a planetary nebula in the southern constellation of Vela. It was discovered by English astronomer John Herschel on February 27, 1835.^[6] This nebula can be viewed with a moderate-sized amateur telescope, but requires a larger telescope to resolve details.^[3] NGC 2899 is located at a distance of 3,350 ± 670 light-years (1,026 ± 205 pc) from the Sun and 25,894 ± 3 light-years (7,939 ± 1 pc) from the Galactic Center.^[2]

This nebula has an overall kidney shape that is elongated along an axis from WNW to ESE.^[7] The overall topology is bipolar with a significant equatorial structure. This shape is believed to result from a binary star system. The mean expansion rate is 43 to 56 km/s, with high velocity structures expanding at 110 to 130 km/s. The core mass of the central star is estimated as ~1.2 M_☉.^[4]

The nebula lies within a large cavity in the surrounding medium. This opening has quadrupolar shape with a physical dimension of 14 pc × 11 pc. The elongation lies along a position angle of 37°±5°, which is aligned with the minor axis of the planetary nebula. This opening was most likely crafted by a fast stellar wind coming from the central star during its asymptotic giant branch stage, prior to the formation of a planetary nebula. The shape and filamentary structures suggest the interaction of a binary star system.^[8][9]

References

External links and images

• Frommert, Hartmut. "Revised NGC Data for NGC 2899". Students for the Exploration and Development of Space. Archived from the original on 21 December 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
• Challis, Pete. "NGC 2899". Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
• "Stunning Space Butterfly Captured by ESO Telescope". European Southern Observatory. July 30, 2020. Retrieved 2024-03-13.