Headphone Nebula — PK 164+31.1

The Headphone Nebula (Jones-Emberson 1) is a planetary nebula — the dying breath of a sun-like star that has shed its outer layers into space. It gets its name from the two distinct lobes that resemble a pair of headphones.

Planetary nebulae are brief on cosmic timescales. In perhaps 10,000 years this structure will disperse into the interstellar medium and vanish. Catching one this clearly is a matter of timing — on a scale of billions of years.

Shot through a Celestron C16 at f/10, the long focal length is necessary to resolve this relatively small and faint object. Six hours per SHO channel, eighteen hours total.

Technical Details

• Object: PK 164+31.1 — Headphone Nebula (Jones-Emberson 1)
• Distance: ~1,600 light-years
• Telescope: Celestron C16 @ f/10
• Filters: SHO narrowband
• Integration: 18 hours (6h per channel)
• Location: Victoria, BC