IC 4634 is a planetary nebula in Ophiuchus, 8,150 light-years away
IC 4634 (ESO 587-001) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Ophiuchus , 8,150 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 10.9 and spans 8″ of sky, about 0.3 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in July.
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 4634 from Antares
Antares
IC 4634
OPHIUCHUS
IC 4634 lies 8.7° northeast of Antares , the magnitude 1.1 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
IC 4634 is highest in the evening in July
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -52° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -48° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -37° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -22° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -8° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 3° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 8° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 6° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -3° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -16° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -31° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -44° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -61° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -56° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -40° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -21° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -3° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 11° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 18° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 15° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 4° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -12° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -32° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -50° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -71° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -62° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -42° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -19° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 2° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 19° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 28° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 25° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 10° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -9° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -32° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -54° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -80° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -66° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -43° 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: 27° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 38° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 34° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 17° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -5° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -31° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -56° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -84° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -67° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -41° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -14° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 12° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 35° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 48° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 42° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 23° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -1° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -29° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -56° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -77° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -63° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -39° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -10° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 17° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 42° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 57° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 51° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 28° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 2° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -26° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -53° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -67° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -57° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -35° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -7° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 21° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 48° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 67° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 59° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 33° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 6° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -22° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -48° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -58° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -50° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -30° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -3° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 24° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 53° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 76° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 65° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 37° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 10° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -18° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -42° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -48° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -42° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -24° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 1° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 27° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 55° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 83° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 68° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 40° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 13° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -13° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -35° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -38° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -33° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -18° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 5° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 30° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 56° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 79° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 68° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 41° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 16° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -8° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -27° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -28° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -24° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -11° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 9° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 31° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 54° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 71° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 63° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 41° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 19° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -3° 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 southern hemisphere and north to about 68°N, and never sets south of 68°S.
IC 4634 is 8,150 light-years away
The light seen from IC 4634 tonight left it about 8,150 years ago. Distance source: Gaia EDR3 central-star distance, Chornay & Walton 2021 (2.50 kpc).
Objects within 6° of IC 4634
10 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 6287, globular cluster, 1.2° NGC 6235, globular cluster, 1.9° NGC 6284, globular cluster, 3.0° NGC 6325, globular cluster, 4.3° M19 Messier 19, globular cluster, 4.4° NGC 6342, globular cluster, 5.1° NGC 6293, globular cluster, 5.1° M9 Messier 9, globular cluster, 5.3°
IC 4634 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Ophiuchus Designations IC 4634, ESO 587-001, IRAS 16585-2145, PK 0+12 1, PN G000.3+12.2 Type planetary nebula Right ascension (J2000) 17h 01.6m Declination (J2000) -21° 50′ Magnitude 10.9 (B 10.0) Apparent size 8″ True size 0.3 light-years Distance 8,150 light-years (Gaia EDR3 central-star distance, Chornay & Walton 2021 (2.50 kpc)) Radial velocity -34 km/s Central star HD 153655, magnitude 13.0 Best with Telescope Best month July Catalog page IC 4501 to 5000
