IC 5148, the Spare Tyre nebula

Constellation: Grus

IC 5148 is a planetary nebula in the constellation of Grus. This images shows the cloud of gas of IC 5148 and the central stellar remnant from which the gas radiates. This stellar remnant is a white dwarf. which was once a star of a similar size to our sun. The dark patch surrounding the star is due to the pressure of the radiation from the star that pushes the surrounding gas away from the core and leaves a vacant space. It is about 6’000 Ly away and expands at a rate of 50 kilometres a second, one of the fastest expansion rate of all planetary nebulae. Link to interactive sky chart.

Dates:

This is derived from the outstanding data taken by Martin Pugh during April and July 2025 (Martin’s website: Remote Astrophotography with Martin Pugh (martinpughastrophotography.space).

His telescope is located in Chile (Observatory: El Sauce).

Telescope & Mount:

Planewave CDK24 on a Planewave L600 mount.

Imaging:

Camera: Moravian C1-61000 (bin 2×2)

Nebula:
Astrodon Ha: 39x900s
Astrodon OIII: 40x900s

Stars:
Astrodon R: 15x180s
Astrodon G: 15x180s
Astrodon B: 15x180s

Total integration time: 22h 0′