NGC 6164, the Dragon Eye nebula, is a bright, though small, bipolar (together with NGC 6165) emission nebula in the constellation Norma. It is approximately 4200 light-years from Earth. The image is a combination of data from both a CDK17 and CDK24 telescope, which is so good, that I could not resist a re-working with a completely different end point. In this new interpretation the ionised outer-shell of oxygen is much less visible, with emphasis placed on the Dragon’s Eye. Both the outer-shell, and the inner complex structure of the planetary nebular are illuminated by the hot, oxygen rich star that is clearly visible in the middle of the “eye”. The images was completed using data from a remote hosting facility in Chile.
Planwave CDK24 / Planewave CDK 17
PW L600 / Software Bisque Paramount ME
Moravian C3-61000 Pro 7 / SBIG STXL11002 (with AO)
L,R,G,B, H-alpha, S-II and O-III filters
ca. 84 hrs, Gain 0/2750, F6.5/F6.8, 3962/2939 mm