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Sh2-240 · Spaghetti Nebula (Simeis 147)

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Spaghetti Nebula (Simeis 147)
Credit Giuseppe Donatiello · CC0
Chinese name意面星云(Simeis 147)
TypeSupernova remnant
ConstellationTau
RA05h39m
Dec+28°
Apparent magnitude
HemisphereNorthern
Best seasonWinter
DifficultyHard
Focal length短—中焦 200–500mm

About

About 3,000 light-years away across the Taurus–Auriga border, the Spaghetti Nebula (Simeis 147, Sh2-240) is the remnant of a supernova roughly 40,000 years ago. Spanning 3 degrees, its thin red and blue filaments tangle like a plate of spaghetti. Extremely faint in surface brightness, it needs very dark skies, a wide short-focal field and many nights of narrowband integration to reveal the full web, an ultimate winter challenge.