WR-8 “Fireworks in space”

This strange image looks like fireworks on 4th of July but it’s not, but is a rarely imaged Wolf -Rayet Star. In the constellation Puppis.

Wolf-Rayet stars are massive stars in advanced evolution stage. They have mass outflows and strong ionization photons. WR8 has a known H-alpha outflow bubble/shell surrounded by large-scale H-alpha emission from the interstellar medium. The ejected gas is often highly ionized, with powerful OIII emissions (Seen here in blue) This is the first image I have seen showing the extended O3 Shell.

Image Processing: Mark Hanson

Data: Martin Pugh

Enjoy, Mark Hanson