Saturn Nebula is a planetary nebula in Aquarius, 3,760 light-years away
Saturn Nebula (Caldwell 55, NGC 7009, Herschel 400 no. 377) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Aquarius , 3,760 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 8.0 and spans 42″ × 30″ of sky, about 0.8 light-years across. It is best in a small telescope, 4 to 6 inches, and it is highest in the evening sky in September.
Planetary nebula: a shell of gas thrown off by a dying Sun-like star and lit by the hot core left behind, which becomes a white dwarf. The name comes from their small, round, planet-like look in early telescopes.
Finding Saturn Nebula from Sadalsuud
Sadalsuud
C55
AQUARIUS
Saturn Nebula lies 8.9° southwest of Sadalsuud , the magnitude 2.9 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
Saturn Nebula is highest in the evening in September
JAN
FEB
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APR
MAY
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JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: -21° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -35° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -41° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -39° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -28° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 1° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 13° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 18° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 16° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 7° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -6° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -24° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -41° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -51° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -47° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -33° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 5° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 20° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 28° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 26° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 13° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -4° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -25° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -47° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -60° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -55° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -36° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -13° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 9° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 28° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 38° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 35° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 19° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -2° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -26° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -52° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -70° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -62° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -39° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -12° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 13° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 35° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 48° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 43° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 24° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 1° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -26° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -54° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -78° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -67° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -40° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -11° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 16° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 42° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 58° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 52° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 29° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 3° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -25° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -55° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -82° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -68° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -39° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -9° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 19° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 47° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 68° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 59° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 33° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 5° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -23° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -53° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -76° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -65° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -37° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -7° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 21° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 51° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 77° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 65° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 36° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 7° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -21° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -48° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -67° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -59° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -34° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -5° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 23° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 53° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 83° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 68° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 38° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 9° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -17° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -43° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -58° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -52° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -30° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -3° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 24° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 53° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 79° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 67° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 38° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 11° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -14° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -36° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -48° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -43° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -25° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -1° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 25° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 51° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 70° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 62° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 37° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 12° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -10° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -29° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -38° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -35° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -20° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 2° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 24° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 46° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 61° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 55° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 35° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 13° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole southern hemisphere and north to about 79°N, and never sets south of 79°S.
Saturn Nebula is 3,760 light-years away
The light seen from Saturn Nebula tonight left it about 3,760 years ago. It ranks 26 of 109 by distance among the 109 Caldwell objects. Distance source: Gaia DR2 parallax, Schonberner & Steffen 2019.
Objects within 6° of Saturn Nebula
Saturn Nebula catalog data
Field Value
Designations Caldwell 55, NGC 7009, Herschel 400 no. 377 Type planetary nebula Constellation Aquarius Right ascension (J2000) 21h 04.2m Declination (J2000) -11° 22′ Magnitude 8.0 Apparent size 42″ × 30″ True size 0.8 light-years Distance 3,760 light-years (Gaia DR2 parallax, Schonberner & Steffen 2019) Best month September Best with Small telescope Herschel 400 number 377
