The Spare Tire Nebula (IC 5148)

Friday, Sep 27, 2024

The Spare Tire Nebula (IC 5148)

By BRUNO ROTA SARGI

IC 5148, also known as the "Spare Tire Nebula," is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Grus, about 3,000 light-years from Earth. Discovered in 1894, it has a spherical shape and is rapidly expanding at a rate of 50 km/s. Formed from the outer layers ejected by a dying Sun-like star, the nebula is visible through amateur telescopes, though not to the naked eye. Nebulae like IC 5148 are important for studying stellar evolution and the cycle of interstellar material.

ToupTek ATR3 CMOS 26000 KPA

Antlia ALP-T Dual Band 5nm 2" · Optolong UV/IR cut 2"

Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ6 GT

Sky-Watcher Explorer 250PDS

Adobe Photoshop · Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight · Stark Labs PHD Guiding · Stefan Berg Nighttime Imaging 'N' Astronomy (N.I.N.A. / NINA)