The Ghost of Jupiter

NGC 3242, “The Ghost of Jupiter” in Hydra
Sketch and Details by Carlos E. Hernandez

NGC 3242

I made an observation of the Ghost of Jupiter (NGC 3242) in Hydra on February 19, 2009 (05:15 U.T.) using my 9-inch (23-cm) F/13.5 Maksutov-Cassegrain at 78x (inset image at 352x) under average to good seeing conditions (5-7/10). The Ghost of Jupiter lies approximately 1,400 light years from the Sun. This planetary nebula has a shape that reminds an observer of the planet Jupiter where it gets it’s nickname from. The Ghost of Jupiter exhibits a bluish color as noted. At higher magnification (352x) the inner shell of the nebula has an elliptical shape with a central “eye” and an outer diffuse shell. This is one of my favorite planetary nebulas to observe.

Carlos E. Hernandez

Object: Ghost of Jupiter NGC 3242 – Artist: Carlos E. Hernandez – Sketch Date: 2-18-2009 – Sketch Location: Pembroke Pines, Florida USA