NGC 3242

NGC 3242
NGC 3242 is a planetary Nebula 1400 light years away in the constellation of Hydra.It is also known as The Ghost of Jupiter.
The remnant of a white dwarf star is visible in the center of the nebula. There are proximate gas clouds the origin of which are unknown, but may have been expelled when the star shed its outer layers.

Imaged on our RiDK 700 in HOO (H alpha, Oxygen III) at Obstech, Chile.
Integration Time: 22 hours
Image Processing: Mike Selby