Chinese Dragon Nebula is an emission nebula in Sagittarius, 3,750 light-years away
Chinese Dragon Nebula (LBN 28, NGC 6559, Ced 154f) is an emission nebula in the constellation Sagittarius , 3,750 light-years away. Lynds rated it brightness class 1 of 6, the brightest, and color class 3, reddish. It spans 15′ × 10′ of sky, about 16.4 light-years across. It is among the brightest nebulae in the catalog, visible in a small telescope; a nebula filter helps, and it is highest in the evening sky in August.
Emission nebula: a cloud of gas, mostly hydrogen, made to glow by the ultraviolet light of hot young stars. It shines in the red light of hydrogen-alpha, and a nebula filter helps it stand out from the sky.
Finding Chinese Dragon Nebula from Kaus Borealis
Kaus Borealis
LBN 28
SAGITTARIUS
Chinese Dragon Nebula lies 4.3° west of Kaus Borealis , the magnitude 2.8 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
Chinese Dragon Nebula 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: -51° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -54° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -46° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -33° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -18° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -5° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 4° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 6° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 1° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -10° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -24° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -38° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -58° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -63° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -52° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -34° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -15° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 2° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 13° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 16° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 9° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -4° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -22° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -41° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -65° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -73° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -56° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -33° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -11° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 9° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 22° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 26° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 18° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 1° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -20° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -42° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -69° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -81° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -58° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -32° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 15° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 31° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 36° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 7° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -17° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -42° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -68° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -82° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -57° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -29° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -3° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 21° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 40° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 46° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 33° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 12° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -14° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -40° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -64° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -74° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -54° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -26° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 1° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 27° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 48° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 56° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 41° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 17° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -10° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -37° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -57° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -65° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -48° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -22° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 5° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 32° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 56° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 65° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 47° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 22° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -6° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -33° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -49° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -55° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -42° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -17° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 9° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 37° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 63° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 75° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 52° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 26° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -2° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -27° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -41° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -45° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -34° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -12° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 13° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 40° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 67° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 83° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 56° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 29° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 2° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -22° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -32° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -36° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -26° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -7° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 16° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 42° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 67° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 82° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 57° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 32° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 6° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -15° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -23° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -26° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -18° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -1° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 19° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 42° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 64° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 73° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 55° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 33° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 10° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -9° 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 66°N, and never sets south of 66°S.
Chinese Dragon Nebula is 3,750 light-years away
The light seen from Chinese Dragon Nebula tonight left it about 3,750 years ago. Distance source: Sh2-29, Gaia EDR3 ionizing stars, Mendez-Delgado et al. 2022 (1.15 kpc).
14 Lynds bright nebulae and 83 Lynds dark nebulae lie within 5° of Chinese Dragon Nebula
The nearest:
LBN 29, emission nebula, 0′ LDN 211, dark nebula, 12′ LDN 221, dark nebula, 14′ LDN 214, dark nebula, 14′ LDN 213, dark nebula, 14′ LDN 210, dark nebula, 15′ LBN 33, emission nebula, 20′ LDN 227, dark nebula, 20′ LDN 212, dark nebula, 24′ LDN 230, dark nebula, 35′
NGC and IC objects in the field that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
IC 4681, star, 41′ IC 4678, nebula, 49′ NGC 6546, open cluster, 56′ NGC 6544, globular cluster, 1.2° NGC 6530, cluster with nebula, 1.3° M8 Lagoon Nebula, nebula, 1.5°
Chinese Dragon Nebula catalog data
Field Value
Designations LBN 28, NGC 6559 , Ced 154f Constellation Sagittarius Type emission nebula Right ascension (J2000) 18h 10.1m Declination (J2000) -23° 59′ Galactic longitude and latitude 7.03°, -2.26° Brightness class 1 of 6 (the brightest) Color class 3 of 4 (reddish) Apparent size 15′ × 10′ True size 16.4 light-years Distance 3,750 light-years (Sh2-29, Gaia EDR3 ionizing stars, Mendez-Delgado et al. 2022 (1.15 kpc)) Best with Small telescope Best month August Catalog page LBN 1 to 500
