APOD: 2024 September 18 – The Mermaid Nebula Supernova Remnant

Good morning, Rallypoint, and welcome to the September 18th edition of Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD). The Mermaid Nebula (aka Betta Fish Nebula) is a supernova remnant first discovered in 1974. It lies only 978 light years away in the constellation Centaurus (The Centaur). We can clearly see the red of ionized hydrogen and blue of doubly-ionized oxygen (OIII) in this composite image. Scientists also study this structure through its radio and gamma ray emissions. A Planewave CDK24 telescope and Moravian Instruments C3-61000 PRO imaging camera were used to capture the Mermaid Nebula over the course of 5 nights.