The Al Khatem Astronomical Observatory in Abu Dhabi has photographed the “Thor’s Helmet” Nebula, also known as NGC2359, located in the Canis Major constellation, about 15,000 light years away from Earth. The nebula, named for its resemblance to the helmet worn by the character Thor, is an emission nebula composed mainly of hydrogen and oxygen gases.
At its center lies a massive star, 280,000 times brighter than the sun and with 16 times its mass. The nebula is in a pre-supernova stage, with stellar winds shaping the gases into the iconic helmet structure.
The observatory used a 14-inch telescope with hydrogen, oxygen, and sulfur filters to capture 276 images, resulting in a total exposure time of 14 hours. The nebula’s expansion is estimated to be between 80,000 and 240,000 years old, expanding at a rate of 10 to 30 km per second.