Planetary nebula
He 2-145
Planetary nebula
A shell of gas thrown off by a dying Sun-like star, glowing in the ultraviolet light of the hot core at its centre. Within a few tens of thousands of years it will disperse and fade from view. The distance is a statistical estimate, uncertain by 30–50 %.
| Type | Planetary nebula |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Norma |
| Distance | 1,200 pc (3.9 thousand ly) · estimated |
| Diameter | 0.2 ly |
| PN G name | PN G331.4+00.5 |
| Source | Strasbourg–ESO PN Catalogue |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 16h 08m 59.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | −51° 02′ 02″ |
In the sky
Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 39° N. South of latitude 39° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in May, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out around 1889 BC. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 69 million years.