NGC 2899
Planetary nebula in the constellation Vela
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
.jpg)
| Emission nebula | |
|---|---|
| Planetary nebula | |
NGC 2899, imaged by the Hubble Space 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] |
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]