SH2-240 – The Spaghetti Nebula

14.67 hours of integration, tracing the intricate, tangled filaments of one of the sky's most challenging supernova remnants.

Distance From Earth — ~3,000 Light Years
diameter — 160 light years
Total Exposure Time — 14.67 Hours

SH2-240 is the remnant of a supernova explosion estimated to have occurred roughly 30,000 years ago. It is one of the largest supernova remnants visible in the night sky, spanning nearly 3 degrees across — about six times the width of the full moon — yet so faint that it demands exceptional integration time to reveal its structure. The glowing red filaments are hydrogen gas energized by the ancient shockwave, still expanding outward through the surrounding interstellar medium. A subtle blue region near the center hints at [OIII] emission from ionized oxygen.

This one is a serious challenge even for experienced imagers — the surface brightness is extremely low, and pulling out this level of filamentary detail requires both dark skies and a significant investment of time under the stars. Worth every hour.