Melotte 15
There is a 202o image (updated 2021) that covers this same area: HERE
Melotte 15 lies at the heart of the Heart Nebula. (See next image).
At its very center are two stars locked in orbit, accounting for the unique shape of the Nebula. The stars are doomed to fuse together and explode into a supernova in 700 million years. According to researchers, this discovery, reported in Nature in February 2015, was the first confirmation that giant white dwarf binaries exist, and the first record of a system with such a fate.
Imaging telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FSQ106ED
Imaging cameras: ATIK 460 EX Mono
Mounts: Takahashi EM 400 Temma 2
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FS 60 CB
Guiding cameras: QHY CCD QHY 5 II
Focal reducers: Takahashi QE 0.73X
Software: PHD 2, Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight , Sequence Generator Pro SGP
Filters: Astrodon OIII 3nm, Astrodon SII 3nm, Astrodon Ha 3nm
Accessories: Robofocus Focuser, ATIK EFW2
Resolution: 1615x894
Dates: Oct. 2, 2015, Oct. 12, 2015, Oct. 15, 2015
Frames:
Astrodon Ha 3nm: 13x1200" bin 1x1
Astrodon OIII 3nm: 13x1200" bin 1x1
Astrodon SII 3nm: 14x1200" bin 1x1
Integration: 13.3 hours
Avg. Moon age: 16.54 days
Avg. Moon phase: 27.99%
At its very center are two stars locked in orbit, accounting for the unique shape of the Nebula. The stars are doomed to fuse together and explode into a supernova in 700 million years. According to researchers, this discovery, reported in Nature in February 2015, was the first confirmation that giant white dwarf binaries exist, and the first record of a system with such a fate.
Imaging telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FSQ106ED
Imaging cameras: ATIK 460 EX Mono
Mounts: Takahashi EM 400 Temma 2
Guiding telescopes or lenses: Takahashi FS 60 CB
Guiding cameras: QHY CCD QHY 5 II
Focal reducers: Takahashi QE 0.73X
Software: PHD 2, Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight , Sequence Generator Pro SGP
Filters: Astrodon OIII 3nm, Astrodon SII 3nm, Astrodon Ha 3nm
Accessories: Robofocus Focuser, ATIK EFW2
Resolution: 1615x894
Dates: Oct. 2, 2015, Oct. 12, 2015, Oct. 15, 2015
Frames:
Astrodon Ha 3nm: 13x1200" bin 1x1
Astrodon OIII 3nm: 13x1200" bin 1x1
Astrodon SII 3nm: 14x1200" bin 1x1
Integration: 13.3 hours
Avg. Moon age: 16.54 days
Avg. Moon phase: 27.99%
