GUM 16

In May 2015, I spent an unforgettable period under the pristine skies of Namibia at the Tivoli Astrofarm. During that stay, I dedicated several nights to capturing deep images of the southern sky using my mobile astrophotography setup. Among the many celestial treasures I imaged was GUM 16, a faint and intricate structure that forms part of the vast Vela Supernova Remnant in the constellation Vela.

GUM 16 is a delicate network of glowing filaments—remnants of a massive star that exploded thousands of years ago. The shockwaves from this ancient supernova continue to sweep through interstellar space, energizing the surrounding gas and creating complex patterns of emission and reflection. Seen against the rich star fields of the southern Milky Way, this region reveals both the violence and beauty of stellar death.

Capturing GUM 16 required careful planning and precise imaging to bring out its subtle tendrils of ionized hydrogen and oxygen. Even under Namibia’s crystal-clear skies, the faint arcs and diffuse glow demanded long exposures and meticulous calibration to reveal their full structure.

The data calibration, registration, and final image processing were carried out in PixInsight

The images were taken with the following equipment:

• Date: 2015
• Location: Tivoli, Namibia
• Telescope: Canon 24-105mm lens
• Focal length [mm]: 50
• Focal ratio: 4
• Mount: Losmandy G11
• Camera: Moravian FW8300
• Filter: Hα:[OIII]:R:G:B
• Exposure time [min]: 80:80:30:30:30
• Resolution: 23.5″/px