Planetary nebula
We 2- 5
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 | Cassiopeia |
| Distance | 813 pc (2.7 thousand ly) · estimated |
| Diameter | 2.5 ly |
| PN G name | PN G129.2-02.0 |
| Source | Strasbourg–ESO PN Catalogue |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 1h 42m 38.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | +60° 10′ 06″ |
In the sky
Visible from the whole Northern Hemisphere and south to latitude 30° S. North of latitude 30° N it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in October, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out around 627 BC. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 47 million years.