LBN 550 is an emission and reflection nebula in Cepheus, 1,190 light-years away
LBN 550 is an emission and reflection nebula in the constellation Cepheus , 1,190 light-years away. Lynds rated it brightness class 5 of 6, faint, and color class 2, bluish. It spans 2.3° × 30′ of sky, about 48.5 light-years across. It is a faint target for long-exposure photography, and it is highest in the evening sky in September.
Emission and reflection nebula: a cloud where gas glows on its own, lit by the ultraviolet light of hot young stars, next to dust that scatters starlight. Photographs show red emission beside blue reflection.
Finding LBN 550 from Alfirk
Alfirk
LBN 550
CEPHEUS
LBN 550 lies 7.9° north of Alfirk , the magnitude 3.2 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
LBN 550 is highest in the evening in September
JAN
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JUL
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OCT
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DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: 54° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 50° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 48° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 49° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 52° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 57° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 63° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 68° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 72° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 70° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 65° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 59° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 44° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 40° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 38° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 39° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 42° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 47° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 53° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 59° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 62° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 60° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 56° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 50° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 34° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 30° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 28° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 29° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 32° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 38° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 44° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 49° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 52° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 51° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 46° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 40° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 25° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 20° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 18° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 19° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 23° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 28° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 34° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 39° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 42° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 41° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 36° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 31° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 15° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 10° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 8° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 9° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 13° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 18° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 24° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 29° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 32° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 31° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 27° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 21° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 5° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 0° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -2° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -1° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 3° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 9° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 14° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 19° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 22° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 21° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 17° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 11° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -5° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -10° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -12° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -11° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -7° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -1° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 5° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 10° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 12° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 11° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 7° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 1° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -15° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -20° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -22° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -21° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -17° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -11° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -5° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -0° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 2° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 1° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -3° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -9° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -25° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -30° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -32° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -31° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -27° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -21° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -15° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -10° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -8° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -9° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -13° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -18° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -34° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -39° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -42° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -41° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -37° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -31° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -25° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -20° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -18° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -19° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -23° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -28° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -44° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -49° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -52° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -51° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -46° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -40° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -35° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -30° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -28° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -29° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -33° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -38° 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 12°S, and never sets north of 12°N.
LBN 550 is 1,190 light-years away
The light seen from LBN 550 tonight left it about 1,190 years ago, around 836 AD. Distance source: LDN 1228, L1228, Gaia DR2 dust, Zucker et al. 2020 (366 pc).
6 Lynds bright nebulae and 3 Lynds dark nebulae lie within 5° of LBN 550
The nearest:
LBN 552, emission and reflection nebula, 25′ LDN 1228, dark nebula, 39′ LBN 555, emission and reflection nebula, 60′ LBN 545, reflection nebula, 1.4° LBN 553, reflection nebula, 2.5° LDN 1241, dark nebula, 3.1° LBN 569, emission nebula, 3.3° LBN 567, emission nebula, 4.2° LDN 1243, dark nebula, 5.0°
LBN 550 catalog data
Field Value
Designations LBN 550 Constellation Cepheus Type emission and reflection nebula Right ascension (J2000) 20h 58.8m Declination (J2000) +78° 11′ Galactic longitude and latitude 112.23°, +20.50° Brightness class 5 of 6 (faint) Color class 2 of 4 (bluish) Apparent size 2.3° × 30′ True size 48.5 light-years Distance 1,190 light-years (LDN 1228, L1228, Gaia DR2 dust, Zucker et al. 2020 (366 pc)) Best with Camera Best month September Catalog page LBN 501 to 1000
