Henize 2-111: a planetary nebula in Centaurus

Henize 2-111

In May 2015, I spent some time under the magnificent southern skies at the Tivoli Astrofarm in Namibia. During that stay, I captured several deep-sky images using the observatory’s “Stella” equipment, taking advantage of the exceptional seeing conditions and dark desert nights. One of the objects I focused on was the fascinating planetary nebula Henize 2-111, also catalogued as PK 315-00.1, located in the constellation Centaurus.

Henize 2-111 is a striking and complex planetary nebula, the remnant of a dying star that shed its outer layers thousands of years ago. What makes this object particularly intriguing is its irregular, bipolar structure, which extends far beyond the central region—evidence of dynamic processes that shaped it during its final stages of stellar evolution. Glowing in shades of blue-green and crimson, the nebula’s gas clouds trace the paths of powerful stellar winds interacting with the surrounding interstellar medium.

Capturing this delicate structure required both precision and patience. The fine details in the nebular filaments and the soft transitions in brightness posed a rewarding challenge in processing.

All data calibration, registration, and final image processing were performed in PixInsight