NGC 6781 is a planetary nebula in Aquila, 1,620 light-years away
NGC 6781 (Herschel 400 no. 358, PN G041.8-02.9, PK 41-2.1) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Aquila , 1,620 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 11.4 and spans 1.8′ 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 August.
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 NGC 6781 from Altair
Altair
NGC 6781
AQUILA
NGC 6781 lies 8.3° west of Altair , the magnitude 0.8 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
NGC 6781 is highest in the evening in August
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: -16° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -23° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -22° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -13° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -0° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 15° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 28° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 36° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 35° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 25° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 11° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -4° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -24° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -33° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -31° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -20° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -2° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 17° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 34° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 46° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 44° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 30° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 12° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -7° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -31° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -43° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -41° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -25° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -5° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 19° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 40° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 55° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 52° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 35° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 12° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -10° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -37° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -52° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -50° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -31° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 20° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 44° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 64° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 60° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 38° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 12° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -13° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -43° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -62° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -58° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -35° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -9° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 20° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 47° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 73° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 67° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 41° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 12° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -16° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -47° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -71° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -66° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -39° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -10° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 20° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 49° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 78° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 70° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 41° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 11° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -18° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -50° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -78° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -71° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -41° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -12° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 19° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 48° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 77° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 70° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 41° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 10° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -19° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -50° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -80° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -72° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -42° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -13° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 17° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 45° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 70° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 65° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 38° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 9° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -20° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -49° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -74° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -68° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -41° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -13° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 15° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 41° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 61° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 57° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 35° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 7° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -20° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -46° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -65° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -61° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -39° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -13° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 13° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 36° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 52° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 49° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 30° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 6° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -20° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -41° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -55° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -53° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -35° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -13° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 10° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 30° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 42° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 40° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 25° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 4° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -19° 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 northern hemisphere and south to about 83°S.
NGC 6781 is 1,620 light-years away
The light seen from NGC 6781 tonight left it about 1,620 years ago, around 406 AD. It ranks 10 of 398 by distance among the Herschel 400 objects. Distance source: Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (498 pc).
Objects within 6° of NGC 6781
NGC 6781 catalog data
Field Value
Designations NGC 6781, Herschel 400 no. 358, PN G041.8-02.9, PK 41-2.1 Type planetary nebula Constellation Aquila Right ascension (J2000) 19h 18.5m Declination (J2000) +06° 32′ Magnitude 11.4 Apparent size 1.8′ True size 0.8 light-years Distance 1,620 light-years (Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (498 pc)) Best month August Best with Small telescope Herschel 400 number 358
