LBN 68 is an emission nebula in Serpens, 5,540 light-years away
LBN 68 is an emission nebula in the constellation Serpens , 5,540 light-years away. Lynds rated it brightness class 3 of 6, moderately bright, and color class 3, reddish. It spans 35′ × 30′ of sky, about 56.4 light-years across. It is a telescope object under a dark sky; 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 LBN 68 from Sinistra
Sinistra
LBN 68
SERPENS
LBN 68 lies 6.5° southeast of Sinistra , the magnitude 3.3 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
LBN 68 is highest in the evening in August
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -40° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -44° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -38° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -25° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -11° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 3° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 13° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 16° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 11° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 0° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -14° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -29° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -48° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -54° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -45° 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: 9° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 22° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 26° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 19° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 5° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -13° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -32° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -56° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -63° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -51° 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: 15° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 31° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 36° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 27° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 10° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -12° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -35° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -62° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -73° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -56° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -30° 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: 39° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 46° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 35° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 15° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -11° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -36° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -65° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -82° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -58° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -29° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -2° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 25° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 47° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 56° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 42° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 19° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -9° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -36° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -65° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -84° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -58° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -28° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 0° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 29° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 54° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 66° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 49° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 22° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -6° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -35° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -61° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -75° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -55° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -26° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 3° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 32° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 60° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 76° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 53° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 25° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -4° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -33° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -55° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -66° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -50° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -23° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 5° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 35° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 63° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 85° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 56° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 28° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -2° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -29° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -48° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -56° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -43° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -19° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 7° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 36° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 64° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 83° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 57° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 29° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 1° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -25° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -40° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -46° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -36° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -15° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 9° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 36° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 60° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 74° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 55° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 30° 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: -31° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -36° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -28° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -10° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 11° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 34° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 55° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 64° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 50° 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: -15° 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 76°N, and never sets south of 76°S.
LBN 68 is 5,540 light-years away
The light seen from LBN 68 tonight left it about 5,540 years ago. Distance source: Sh2-49, Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023.
25 Lynds bright nebulae and 56 Lynds dark nebulae lie within 5° of LBN 68
The nearest:
LBN 67 Eagle Nebula, emission nebula, 15′ LDN 380, dark nebula, 43′ LBN 70, emission nebula, 55′ LBN 62, emission nebula, 57′ LDN 376, dark nebula, 1.0° LBN 64, emission nebula, 1.0° LBN 71, emission nebula, 1.4° LBN 66, emission nebula, 1.7° LDN 394, dark nebula, 1.7° LBN 59, emission nebula, 1.7°
NGC and IC objects in the field that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
M16 Eagle Nebula, nebula, 14′ M16 Eagle Nebula, nebula, 16′ NGC 6605, open cluster, 1.4° NGC 6604, open cluster, 1.7° NGC 6625, open cluster, 2.1° M17 Omega Nebula, nebula, 2.3°
LBN 68 catalog data
Field Value
Designations LBN 68 Constellation Serpens Type emission nebula Right ascension (J2000) 18h 19.9m Declination (J2000) -13° 53′ Galactic longitude and latitude 17.00°, +0.53° Brightness class 3 of 6 (moderately bright) Color class 3 of 4 (reddish) Apparent size 35′ × 30′ True size 56.4 light-years Distance 5,540 light-years (Sh2-49, Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023) Best with Telescope Best month August Catalog page LBN 1 to 500
