129 Ko, Gif
As featured on the cover of the December-94 issue of Physics Today. This is an image of a bipolar nebula obtained at the Coudé focus of the CFHT telescope in December-93. The image is a false colour composite of images taken in the I,J and H bands. The double star in this object was resolved for the first time in this image. A disk of cool dust in the dark lane between the two clouds causes the reddening of the two central stars. For this object the AO system was sensing the atmospheric wavefront on the brighter of the two clouds. See Roddier et al. 1995, ApJ, 443, 249 for more details.
41 Ko, Gif
A deconvolved H band image of the Red Rectangle. Data recorded at the Coudé of the CFHT in December-93. The X shape is assumed to be produced by polar outflows from a star hidden in the dust, possibly from inside an accretion disk seen here from slightly underneath. Since the outflows clear the dust away, light can escape and illuminate the dust on either side of the disk, forming the two lobes of the bipolar nebua. See Roddier et al. 1995, ApJ, 443, 249 for more details.
256 Ko, Gif
Bipolar nebula.
26 Ko, Jpeg
This H band image of the planetary nebula NGC 7009, commonly known as the Saturn Nebula, was taken with the UHAO system at the CFHT. The resolution is ~.2" FWHM and the total integration time is 20 minutes. The image size is 35x25".