Featured Deep Sky Objects IC 443

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Deep Sky Object Chart | Stars in Gemini | M35 | Eskimo | NGC Clusters | NGC2339 | NGC2371-72 | IC443 IC 443 is a very large but faint nebula located very close to Propus - just one degree to the northeast of the red star. IC 443 covers an area similar to that the moon does in the sky, but the large size spreads out its light to such an extent that the object is revealed only in photographs. However, the powerful CCD imaging devices now within purchasing range of many amateurs make this a promising target. While the exact classification of this nebula is in doubt, the moderately strong radio emissions and crescent form of the cloud have suggested to some that it is a supernova remnant, cast of by a violent supernova explosion millennia ago. Alternatively, the nebula could be more akin to the more sedately produced "planetary" nebulae - we can not even rule out the possibility that the seemingly nearby Propus is not in fact actually alongside the cloud, and expelled the gases itself.