Supernova
Ring Nebula (M57)
The best-known planetary nebula
In Lyra, the outer layers shed by a Sun-like star at the end of its life. The 120,000 K white dwarf at the centre ionises the ring; a preview of the Sun's fate ~5 billion years from now.
| Type | Supernova |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Lyra |
| Distance | 787 pc (2,570 light-years) |
| Apparent magnitude | 8,8 |
| Age | ~7,000 years |
| Central star | White dwarf, ~120,000 K |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 18h 53m 35.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | +33° 01′ 44″ |
In the sky
Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 57° S. North of latitude 57° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in July, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out around 542 BC. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 46 million years.