RA: 01h 30m 36.0s Dec: +58° 22' 00 Mag: 10, Size: 2.5pc, Distance: 850pc

   Sharpless 2-188 is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Cassiopeia. First discovered in 1951 at the Simiez observatory in Russia and cataloged as Simiez 22 and later cataloged by Sharpless as Sh2-188, this object was thought to be a super nova remnant due to its wispy filament structure. It wasn't until the 1990's that this was classified as a planetary nebula. Similar in appearance to Sh2-274 (Medusa Nebula) Sh2-188 is the result of a dying star shedding its outer layers of gas and dust though its age is thought to be only 22,500 years.
   A unique feature of this nebula is the faint but visible leading edge ahead of the brighter filament structure at the left side in this image. This area displays a bow shock effect which is the result of the nebulas fast moving central star speed of approximately 125km/sec interacting with the interstellar medium. The direction of movement is towards the brighter filament on the left while the fainter structure is the trailing side. The larger image has a mouse over to identify these objects. Research done by C.J. Wareing et al, in 2005 using a computer generated "Triple Wind" modeling has produced results that verify the formation of the Sh2-188 structure and its bow shock.
   As with planetary nebulas the ejected stellar material back into space can eventually become future stars, planets and even the foundation elements for life.