LBN 31 is a reflection nebula in Sagittarius
LBN 31 (IC 4681, Ced 154a) is a reflection nebula in the constellation Sagittarius . Lynds rated it brightness class 6 of 6, the faintest, and color class 1, the bluest, strongest on the blue print. It spans 3′ of sky. It is a faint target for long-exposure photography, and it is highest in the evening sky in August.
Reflection nebula: a cloud of dust lit by a nearby star. The dust scatters blue light best, so reflection nebulae look blue in photographs, and a nebula filter does not help them.
Finding LBN 31 from Kaus Borealis
Kaus Borealis
LBN 31
SAGITTARIUS
LBN 31 lies 4.9° northwest of Kaus Borealis , the magnitude 2.8 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
LBN 31 is highest in the evening in August
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -50° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -53° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -46° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -32° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -17° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -4° 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: -9° 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: -33° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 3° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 14° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 16° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 10° 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: -72° 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: 23° 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: -43° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -69° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -80° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -58° 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: 16° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 32° 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: -69° 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: 22° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 41° 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: -41° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -65° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -74° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -53° 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: 28° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 49° 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: -11° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -38° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -58° 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°: 33° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 57° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 66° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 47° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 21° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -7° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -33° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -50° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -56° 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: 25° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -3° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -28° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -41° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -46° 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: 55° 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: -27° 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: 68° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 81° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 56° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 31° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 6° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -16° 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: -2° 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: 32° 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 67°N, and never sets south of 67°S.
The distance to LBN 31 is not well measured
No reliable distance has been measured for it yet.
14 Lynds bright nebulae and 83 Lynds dark nebulae lie within 5° of LBN 31
The nearest:
LDN 224, dark nebula, 7′ LDN 230, dark nebula, 13′ LBN 34, reflection nebula, 14′ LDN 227, dark nebula, 31′ LDN 214, dark nebula, 35′ LDN 213, dark nebula, 37′ LBN 28 Chinese Dragon Nebula, emission nebula, 43′ LBN 29, emission nebula, 43′ LDN 210, dark nebula, 44′ LBN 33, emission nebula, 45′
NGC and IC objects in the field that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
IC 4681, star, 4′ NGC 6546, open cluster, 13′ IC 4678, nebula, 37′ NGC 6530, cluster with nebula, 1.2° M21 Messier 21, open cluster, 1.3° M20 Trifid Nebula, nebula, 1.3°
LBN 31 catalog data
Field Value
Designations LBN 31, IC 4681 , Ced 154a Constellation Sagittarius Type reflection nebula Right ascension (J2000) 18h 08.0m Declination (J2000) -23° 26′ Galactic longitude and latitude 7.28°, -1.59° Brightness class 6 of 6 (the faintest) Color class 1 of 4 (the bluest, strongest on the blue print) Apparent size 3′ Best with Camera Best month August Catalog page LBN 1 to 500
