Mz 1 Explained

Mz 1 (Menzel 1), is a bipolar planetary nebula (PN) in the constellation Norma.

Characteristics

Menzel 1 is a bright planetary nebula that has a prominent central ring of enhanced emission. One model of its structure is a three-dimensional hour-glass shape with a smoothly decreasing density starting from the waist or equator as measured outwardly to the poles. It is radially expanding at a rate of about 23 km/s and estimated to be around 4,500 to 10,000 years old and has its polar axis oriented at an angle of around 40° from the plane of the sky. Its central star is estimated to have a mass of . In 1992 Schwarz, Corradi, & Melnick published narrow band images of Mz 1 in Hα and [OIII].^[1] H₂ emission was observed in Mz 1 byWebster, Payne, Storey, Dopita (1988). However, despite its relative brightness, Mz 1 has only been studied in a few papers .

History

Mz 1 was discovered by Donald Howard Menzel in 1922.

Notes

1. 3,400 ± 500 ly distance × sin(76 diameter_angle / 2) = 0.63 ± 0.09 ly. radius
2. 12.0 apparent magnitude - 5 * (log₁₀(1,050 ± 150 pc distance) - 1) = 1.9 ± 0.3 absolute magnitude

References

• (archive)

External links

• http://www.astro.washington.edu/users/balick/PNIC/PNimages_by_galcoord/322.4-02.6.Mz1.jpg

Notes and References

1. Schwarz . H. E. . Corradi . R. L. M. . Melnick . J. . November 1992. A catalogue of narrow band images of planetary nebulae. Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series. 93. 1. 23–113. 1992A&AS...96...23S.