Exposures: 1.5 hrs of Ha; 1 hr each OIII and SII (15 min subexposures) for a total of 3.5 hrs.
Color mapped using the Hubble Palette assigning Ha to Green; OIII to blue and SII to red
FOV =32 x 21.5 arc minutes
NGC 2359 contains a central star known as a Wolf-Rayet star - an extremely hot giant thought to be in a brief, pre-supernova stage of evolution. Interactions between this transition star and a nearby large molecular cloud are thought to contribute to the complex shape and curved bow-shock structure of Thor's Helmet. The object is 30 light years across.
15,000 light years away
Reduced 60% from original
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