NGC 2261, or Hubbles Variable Nebula, is illuminated by the light of the young star to its left, R Monocerotis. It has a relatively small footprint in the sky (2 x 3 arc-minutes) and lies 2500 ly distant in the constellation Monoceros. The nebula carries Hubbles name as he was the first to note its variable nature. It varies in brightness over a period of weeks and months. While the exact cause is unknown, it is thought to be the result of dust clouds passing in front of the nebula. On January 26th, 1949, Edwin Hubble took a “first light” image of NGC 2261 from the new 200 inch Hale Telescope at the Palomar Observatory in southern California. It was the largest in the world at the time. He rode an elevator up to the Prime Focus Cage, where he was positioned to take the photograph. Another person below him operated the dome and telescope. Since it was January, he was likely clothed in a WWII flight suit to help keep him warm. (The flight suites used are still on display at the observatory) The 540 ton telescope was then pointed to NGC 2261. Here is what he saw and photographed that night… (First picture upper left)
https://sites.astro.caltech.edu/palomar/media/astromedia.htmlEdwin Hubble once said that the “The history of astronomy is the history of receding horizons”.
I am grateful for all the horizons that Hubble helped us see beyond.
Acquisition info:
Location: Fairview, UT
Date: February, 2024
Telescope: Planewave 17
Camera: QHY 600
LRGB:20:10:10:10 (600s- 8.5 hr)
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