IC 289 is a planetary nebula in Cassiopeia, 4,990 light-years away
IC 289 (PK 138+02 1) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Cassiopeia , 4,990 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 13.2 and spans 35″ of sky, about 0.8 light-years across. It is faint: a 10-inch or larger telescope, or a camera, and it is highest in the evening sky in December.
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 IC 289 from γ Per
γ Per
IC 289
CASSIOPEIA
IC 289 lies 7.8° north of γ Per , the magnitude 2.9 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
IC 289 is highest in the evening in December
JAN
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 79° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 65° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 53° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 42° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 35° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 32° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 32° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 37° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 46° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 58° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 71° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 85° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 73° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 59° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 46° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 34° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 26° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 22° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 23° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 29° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 39° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 52° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 66° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 78° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 65° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 52° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 39° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 26° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 16° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 12° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 13° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 19° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 31° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 44° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 58° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 68° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 55° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 44° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 31° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 17° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 7° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 2° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 3° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 10° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 22° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 36° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 50° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 58° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 46° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 35° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 22° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 8° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -3° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -8° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -7° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 1° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 13° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 28° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 41° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 48° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 36° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 26° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 13° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -1° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -12° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -18° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -17° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -8° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 5° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 19° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 32° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 38° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 26° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 17° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 5° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -10° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -22° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -28° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -27° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -18° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -4° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 10° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 22° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 28° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 17° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 8° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -4° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -19° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -31° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -38° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -37° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -27° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -13° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 1° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 13° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 18° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 7° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -1° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -13° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -27° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -40° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -48° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -46° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -36° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -22° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -8° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 3° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 8° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -3° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -11° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -22° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -36° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -49° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -58° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -56° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -44° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -30° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -17° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -6° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -2° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -13° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -20° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -30° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -44° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -58° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -68° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -65° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -53° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -38° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -26° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -16° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -12° 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 29°S, and never sets north of 29°N.
IC 289 is 4,990 light-years away
The light seen from IC 289 tonight left it about 4,990 years ago. Distance source: Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (1530 pc).
Objects within 6° of IC 289
9 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
IC 1848 Soul Nebula, cluster with nebula, 2.5° NGC 1027, open cluster, 3.3° IC 1851, star, 3.8° IC 1805, cluster with nebula, 4.5° IC 1795 Fish Head Nebula, H II region, 5.2° NGC 896, nebula, 5.4°
IC 289 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Cassiopeia Designations IC 289, PK 138+02 1, IRAS 03062+6107, PN G138.8+02.8 Type planetary nebula Right ascension (J2000) 03h 10.3m Declination (J2000) +61° 19′ Magnitude 13.2 (B 12.0) Apparent size 35″ True size 0.8 light-years Distance 4,990 light-years (Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (1530 pc)) Radial velocity -13 km/s Best with Large telescope Best month December Catalog page IC 1 to 500
