Structures in Nebulae

Raymond G. Wilson

Please recommend some resources that will help me understand the lines, features I see in my images of nebulae?  For example, my image of the Spider nebula shows some ring structures and lines/curves.  Is there a resource that may have a theory as to what formed the structures?    An authoritative resource I could reference when I do a brief write-up of the image.

Thanks,

Raymond 

BlockHead

Hi Raymond,

Could you please show a screenshot of the features?

-the Blockhead

Raymond G. Wilson

Thank you Adam for getting back so quickly.  

I've attached an image in jpeg and a screen shot.

FYI, this is my first time using Bill Blanshan's NBN.  Any words of wisdom are welcome.

Raymond

BlockHead

Raymond,

1. The structures you point our are clipped in your data. They have a harsh discontinuity due to the processing choices you made. You might consider the 0.8 rule of thumb when processing images- I think you will find it helpful.

2. It appears you are asking an astrophysical question. The pillar structures you point out are denser regions of nebulosity where the stellar winds of energetic stars are blowing and eroding gas through photodissociation  (primarily through UV light). This is a common process in nebula where young stars are born within natal clouds. You can see the same structures in the Eagle Nebula, Orion nebula..etc etc.

Any popular book on astronomy that describes the formation of stars and details their evolution from gas clouds will describe the process and resulting features.

Note this caption... you can search for keywords from here:

https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/2021/024/01F5KKSNNM6YWR7MNMDJ2NEBCN?keyword=Nebulae

-the Blockhead

Raymond G. Wilson

Thanks for the insight to my image. I went thru QuickStart and Fundamentals a while back so I have “re-uped” Fundamentals and as I understand it includes Stretch Academy. Is this where the 0.8 rule is discussed?

BlockHead

I think I talk about the 0.8 in a number of places- but particularly as it relates to LRGB imagery. This is because it is necessary to colorize L data with RGB information..and if the L is too bright it simply will not work.

But more generally the brighter you make an image the less you are able to show variation in color (or contrast). Managing all of this is part of the "art" of astrophotography.

You might find information in this (older) video interesting:

https://www.adamblockstudios.com/articles/Fundamentals_LRGB

-the Blockhead