NGC 2899 is a
planetary nebula in the southern
constellation
A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms Asterism (astronomy), a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object.
The origins of the e ...
of
Vela. It was discovered by English astronomer
John Herschel
Sir John Frederick William Herschel, 1st Baronet (; 7 March 1792 – 11 May 1871) was an English polymath active as a mathematician, astronomer, chemist, inventor, experimental photographer who invented the blueprint and did botanical wor ...
on February 27, 1835.
[ This nebula can be viewed with a moderate-sized amateur telescope, but requires a larger telescope to resolve details.][ NGC 2899 is located at a distance of from the Sun and from the Galactic Center.][
This nebula has an overall kidney shape that is elongated along an axis from WNW to ESE.][ The overall topology is bipolar with a significant equatorial structure. This shape is believed to result from a binary star system. The mean expansion rate is , with high velocity structures expanding at . The core mass of the central star is estimated as .][
The nebula lies within a large cavity in the surrounding medium. This opening has quadrupolar shape with a physical dimension of . The elongation lies along a position angle of , which is aligned with the minor axis of the planetary nebula. This opening was most likely crafted by a fast ]stellar wind
A stellar wind is a flow of gas ejected from the upper atmosphere of a star. It is distinguished from the bipolar outflows characteristic of young stars by being less collimated, although stellar winds are not generally spherically symmetric.
D ...
coming from the central star during its asymptotic giant branch
The asymptotic giant branch (AGB) is a region of the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram populated by evolved cool luminous stars. This is a period of stellar evolution undertaken by all low- to intermediate-mass stars (about 0.5 to 8 solar masses) lat ...
stage, prior to the formation of a planetary nebula. The shape and filamentary structures suggest the interaction of a binary star system.[
]
References
External links and images
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{{DEFAULTSORT:NGC 2899
Planetary nebulae
2899
Vela (constellation)
Discoveries by John Herschel