Planetary nebula
K 2- 1
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 | Auriga |
| Distance | 1,130 pc (3.7 thousand ly) · estimated |
| Diameter | 2.4 ly |
| PN G name | PN G173.7-05.8 |
| Source | Strasbourg–ESO PN Catalogue |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 5h 07m 08.6s |
| Declination (J2000) | +30° 50′ 03″ |
In the sky
Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 59° S. North of latitude 59° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in December, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out around 1661 BC. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 65 million years.