IC443 · Jellyfish Nebula
| Chinese name | 水母星云 |
|---|---|
| Type | Supernova remnant |
| Constellation | Gem |
| RA | 06h17m |
| Dec | +22° |
| Apparent magnitude | 12ᵐ |
| Hemisphere | Northern |
| Best season | Winter |
| Difficulty | Hard |
| Focal length | 中长焦 800–1200mm |
About
The Jellyfish Nebula lies about 5,000 light-years away in Gemini, a supernova remnant from an explosion roughly 30,000 years ago. It is named for its arc-shaped shock front trailing filamentary 'tendrils,' giving it the look of a jellyfish. Gas flung out by the blast still expands at high speed, shocking against the surrounding interstellar medium to produce red hydrogen and teal oxygen filaments. A neutron star is thought to remain at its center. At magnitude 12 its low surface brightness makes it very hard visually. Narrowband imaging reveals finely layered shock filaments, making it a challenging yet highly photogenic winter target in Gemini.