Abell 12: The Hidden PN
Nature does not always give us a good vantage point to see things. Here a foreground star, Mu Orionis, nearly overwhelms the more distant light of the planetary nebula Abell 12. This dying star that cast off its outer envelope of gas glows subtle reds and teals behind the scattered light of Mu Orionis. It was discovered photographically by George Abell as he scanned negatives and noted this star had a strange extra bulge. With an OIII filter in hand, this planetary nebula can be glimpsed through a telescope by diminishing the glare of the star.
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