Menzel 1

Menzel 1 (PLN 322-2.1, ESO 135-11) is a small (1.2′ x 0.5′), bright, bipolar planetary nebula in the southern constellation of Norma approximately 3,400 light years distant. Its axis is oriented about 40 degrees to our line-of-sight. The object is suggested to be 4,000 – 10,000 years old. It was discovered by David Howard Menzel in 1922. It has a slightly thinner and brighter “waist” with extensions on both sides, giving it a bipolar shape. Only about 10-20% of planetary nebulae are bipolar. Narrowband oxygen (OIII at 500.7 nm) and hydrogen (H-a + NII at 656.3 nm) filters were used to obtain the emission detail. Shorter exposures using RGB filters were used for star colors. This is a cropped image from the 35′ x 35′ normal size from the system in order to show more detail of this small object.