Planetary nebula
He 2- 25
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 | Vela |
| Distance | 770 pc (2.5 thousand ly) · estimated |
| Diameter | 0.1 ly |
| Central star | V 17.0 |
| PN G name | PN G275.2-03.7 |
| Source | Strasbourg–ESO PN Catalogue |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 9h 18m 01.3s |
| Declination (J2000) | −54° 39′ 29″ |
In the sky
Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 35° N. South of latitude 35° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in February, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out around 486 BC. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 45 million years.