Full Res: astro.sleeman.at/images/31
Date / Location
Windhoek, Namibia: May 2025
Telescope
Takahashi FSQ-106EDP
Camera
Player One Poseidon-M Pro
Filters
RGB & Ha & OIII
Integration
8.0 hours
The Vela Supernova Remnant spans an enormous area of the sky and lies relatively close to Earth, making it one of the most detailed supernova remnants we can study. Its tangled arcs and ripples trace regions where the blast wave is still interacting with surrounding interstellar gas, heating and ionizing it as it expands outward.
The HOO palette emphasizes these structures: Hα highlights denser, cooler regions of shocked gas, while OIII reveals hotter, more energetic filaments. Combined with RGB stars, the result is a field that shows both the violent aftermath of stellar death and the calm stellar background it unfolds against.
A reminder that even ancient explosions continue to shape our galaxy long after the light of the star itself is gone.
Facts & Technical:
Object: GUM 23 / Vela Supernova Remnant
Object type: Supernova remnant
Constellation: Vela
Distance: ~800 light-years
Imaging: HOO (Hα + OIII) with RGB stars
Notable feature: One of the nearest and largest known supernova remnants
Exposure Time:
Hα: 4h (300s subs)
OIII: 3h (300s subs)
RGB stars: 0.75h (60s subs)
Pixinsight to prepare Masters (BX, NX, SX, HT)
Blended in PhotoShop
by MichaelCR970