NGC 2359, also known as Thor’s Helmet, is a striking emission nebula in the constellation Canis Major. It lies about 12,000 light years from Earth and has a diameter of around 30 light years. The nebula is made to glow by a massive Wolf-Rayet star (WR 7) at its centre, whose strong stellar winds shape and accelerate the surrounding gas. The nebula’s complex structure, with arc-shaped shockwaves and filamentary extensions, resembles a helmet with wings, which earned it its popular name.
| IMAGE DATA | |
|---|---|
| Object | NGC 2359 – Thor's Helmet - Thor´s Helm |
| Distance | approx. 12,000 light years |
| Date | 02. - 04.03.2025 |
| Exposure | RGB each 17x 120sec., HA 19x 300sec. & OIII 16x300sec. - Total approx. 4.6h |
| Mount | Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro |
| Telescope | Skywatcher 200PDS |
| Camera | ZWO ASI 2600mm with ZWO RGB, Ha & OIII Filter |
| Guiding | Zwo Asi OAG with ZWO Asi 290mm Mini & Asiair |
| Software | AsiAir, Astropixel Processor, Photoshop CC, NoiseXterminator, Star X Terminator, Nik Collection 7 |