NGC 3132
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Planetary nebula | Lists of nebulae |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Observation data (Epoch J2000.0) |
|
| Right ascension | 10h 07m 01.7640s[1] |
| Declination | -40° 26′ 11.060″[1] |
| Distance | 2,000 ly[citation needed] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 9.87[1] |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 1′.4 × 0′.9[citation needed] |
| Constellation | Vela |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Radius | 0.2 ly[citation needed] |
| Absolute magnitude (V) | - |
| Notable features | |
| Other designations | Eight-burst Nebula,[1] Southern Ring Nebula[citation needed] |
NGC 3132 (Eight-burst Nebula / Southern Ring Nebula) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Vela situated about 2,000 light years from Earth. Photos of NGC 3132 reveal two stars close together, one of 10th m and one of 16thm. It is the fainter one of these that is considered the central star, having blown off its outer layers to form the nebula. This central star has a very hot surface of perhaps 100,000 kelvins and emits intense ultraviolet radiation which light up the gasses in the nebula. The shell of gasses is expanding at about 9 miles per second (24 km/s).
