NGC 3132
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| NGC 3132 | |
 |
|
| Observation data (Epoch J2000.0) |
|
|---|---|
| Right ascension | 10h 07m 01.7640s[1] |
| Declination | -40° 26′ 11.060″[1] |
| Distance | 2,000 ly[2] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 9.87[1] |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 1′.4 × 0′.9[citation needed] |
| Constellation | Vela |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Radius | 0.2 ly[2] |
| Absolute magnitude (V) | - |
| Other designations | Eight-burst Nebula,[1] Southern Ring Nebula[2] |
| See also: Planetary nebula, Lists of nebulae | |
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 24 km/s or 15 miles per second.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d SIMBAD Astronomical Database. Results for NGC 3132. Retrieved on 2007-01-03.
- ^ a b c Fast Facts - Planetary Nebula NGC 3132. Space Telescope Science Institute. Retrieved on 2007-10-06.
[edit] External links
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