• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.55-63
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• 1999

NGC 6537 is an extremely high excitation bipolar planetary nebula. It exhibits a huge range of excitation from lines of [N I] to [Si VI]or [Fe VII], i.e. from neutral atoms to atoms requiring an ionization potential of $\~$167eV. Its kinematical structures are of special interest. We are here primarily concerned with its high resolution spectrum as revealed by the Hamilton Echelle Spectrograph at Lick Observatory (resolution $\~0.2{\AA}$) and supplemented by UV and near-UV data. Photoionization model reproduces the observed global spectrum of NGC 6537, the absolute H$\beta$ flux, and the observed visual or blue magnitude fairly well. The nebulosity of NGC 6537 is likely to be the result of photo-ionization by a very hot star of $T_{eff} \~ 180,000 K$, although the global nebular morphology and kinematics suggest an effect by strong stellar winds and resulting shock heating. NGC 6537 can be classified as a Peimbert Type I planetary nebula. It is extremely young and it may have originated from a star of about 5 $M_{\bigodot}$.