The Calabash Nebula and its surroundings (ground-based image)

This image is from the Digitized Sky Survey II and shows half a degree of sky centred on the Calabash Nebula (indicated by the circle) also known as the Rotten Egg Nebula. The nebula is lying in the star cluster Messier 46 - seen in the lower right corner of the image. The astronomers are investigating if the Calabash Nebula may be interacting with the stars in the cluster. Also seen in the image is another planetary nebula (which appears as a dense white circle to the lower right of the Calabash Nebula). This nebula is unrelated to the Calabash Nebula.