| NGC 2899 | |
| Type: | Planetary |
| Appmag V: | 11.8 |
| Names: | NGC 2899, Gum 27, PN G277.1-03.8 |
NGC 2899 is a planetary nebula in the southern constellation of Vela. It was discovered by English astronomer John Herschel on February 27, 1835. This nebula can be viewed with a moderate-sized amateur telescope, but requires a larger telescope to resolve details. NGC 2899 is located at a distance of 1026± from the Sun and 7939± from the Galactic Center.
This nebula has an overall kidney shape that is elongated along an axis from WNW to ESE. The overall topology is bipolar with a significant equatorial structure. This shape is believed to result from a binary star system. The mean expansion rate is, with high velocity structures expanding at . The core mass of the central star is estimated as .
The nebula lies within a large cavity in the surrounding medium. This opening has quadrupolar shape with a physical dimension of . The elongation lies along a position angle of, which is aligned with the minor axis of the planetary nebula. This opening was most likely crafted by a fast stellar wind coming from the central star during its asymptotic giant branch stage, prior to the formation of a planetary nebula. The shape and filamentary structures suggest the interaction of a binary star system.
