Object Analysis

The Blue Snowball Nebula (NGC 7662) is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Andromeda. It is a popular target for amateur astronomers because it is quite bright (magnitude 8.6) and has a distinct blue-green color even in small telescopes.

At high magnification, it reveals a central dark void, giving it an annular or ring-like appearance. The central star is a variable white dwarf with a temperature ranging from 75,000 K to over 100,000 K. It is located roughly 2,000 to 6,000 light-years away.

The "snowball" is actually composed of two distinct shells: a bright inner shell and a fainter outer halo. The intense ultraviolet radiation from the central star ionizes the oxygen in the gas, producing the characteristic blue-green glow (doubly ionized oxygen, or OIII).