Planetary Nebulae captured by UFTI and the FP Click here for a larger-format image (without labels)

The images above of the planetary nebula IC 418 reveal a bubble of hot gas surrounding the central white dwarf star. The gas is only observed in the left-hand image because the two images were obtained at different, discreet wavelengths, using the Fabry-Perot Interferometer (FP) with the UFTI camera. The FP was tuned to transmit emission from ionised hydrogen in the left-hand image, then tuned to a "continuum" wavelength setting, that does not transmit emission from the hot gas in this source.

Below we show a similar image of the planetary nebula NGC 2392, also known as the Eskimo nebula. Intricate rings surround the hot, ionised gas bubble. These result as the central, dying star "balloons off" its outer layers. A fainter, more diffuse, though larger ring surrounds the whole system; this outer ring is presumably the result of an early outburst.

Both sets of data were obtained - by Sandy Leggett, Tim Carroll and Chris Davis - in only a few minutes at UKIRT.