LBN 53 is an emission nebula in Sagittarius, 4,600 light-years away
LBN 53 is an emission nebula in the constellation Sagittarius , 4,600 light-years away. Lynds rated it brightness class 6 of 6, the faintest, and color class 4, the reddest, strongest on the red print. It spans 30′ of sky, about 40.1 light-years across. It is a faint target for long-exposure photography, 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 LBN 53 from Sinistra
Sinistra
LBN 53
SAGITTARIUS
LBN 53 lies 7.5° south of Sinistra , the magnitude 3.3 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
LBN 53 is highest in the evening in August
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -44° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -46° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -40° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -27° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -12° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 2° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 11° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 13° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 8° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -3° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -18° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -32° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -52° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -56° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -46° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -28° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -9° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 8° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 20° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 23° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 16° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 2° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -17° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -36° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -59° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -66° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -52° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -29° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 14° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 29° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 33° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 24° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 7° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -15° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -38° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -65° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -75° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -55° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -29° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -4° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 20° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 38° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 43° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 32° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 11° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -14° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -39° 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: -28° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -1° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 25° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 46° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 53° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 39° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 16° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -12° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -39° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -67° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -80° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -55° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -26° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 2° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 30° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 54° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 63° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 45° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 20° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -9° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -37° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -62° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -72° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -52° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -23° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 5° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 34° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 60° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 72° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 50° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 23° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -6° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -34° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -55° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -62° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -46° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -20° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 8° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 37° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 65° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 81° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 54° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 26° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -3° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -30° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -47° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -53° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -40° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -16° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 10° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 39° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 66° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 84° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 55° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 28° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -0° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -26° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -38° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -43° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -32° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -12° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 13° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 39° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 64° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 76° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 54° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 29° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 3° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -20° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -29° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -33° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -25° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -7° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 14° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 38° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 58° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 66° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 51° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 29° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 6° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -14° 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 73°N, and never sets south of 73°S.
LBN 53 is 4,600 light-years away
The light seen from LBN 53 tonight left it about 4,600 years ago. Distance source: NGC 6561, Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023.
26 Lynds bright nebulae and 61 Lynds dark nebulae lie within 5° of LBN 53
The nearest:
LDN 333, dark nebula, 10′ LBN 50, emission nebula, 1.0° LDN 348, dark nebula, 1.0° LBN 49, emission nebula, 1.1° LBN 55, emission nebula, 1.2° LBN 56, emission nebula, 1.2° LDN 347, dark nebula, 1.4° LDN 357, dark nebula, 1.5° LBN 48, emission nebula, 1.6° LBN 51, emission nebula, 1.8°
NGC and IC objects in the field that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 6605, open cluster, 2.1° M18 Messier 18, open cluster, 2.2° M24 Small Sagittarius Star Cloud, star association, 2.4° M17 Omega Nebula, nebula, 2.4° NGC 6603, open cluster, 2.5° NGC 6567, planetary nebula, 2.5°
LBN 53 catalog data
Field Value
Designations LBN 53 Constellation Sagittarius Type emission nebula Right ascension (J2000) 18h 10.9m Declination (J2000) -16° 39′ Galactic longitude and latitude 13.54°, +1.11° Brightness class 6 of 6 (the faintest) Color class 4 of 4 (the reddest, strongest on the red print) Apparent size 30′ True size 40.1 light-years Distance 4,600 light-years (NGC 6561, Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023) Best with Camera Best month August Catalog page LBN 1 to 500
