Planetary nebula
We 1- 2
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 | Perseus |
| Distance | 530 pc (1.7 thousand ly) · estimated |
| Diameter | 0.8 ly |
| Central star | V 20.9 |
| PN G name | PN G160.5-00.5 |
| Source | Strasbourg–ESO PN Catalogue |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 4h 46m 42.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | +44° 28′ 00″ |
In the sky
Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 46° S. North of latitude 46° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in November, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out around the year 297. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 31 million years.