LBN 968 is an emission and reflection nebula in Eridanus, 1,300 light-years away
LBN 968 (DG 49) is an emission and reflection nebula in the constellation Eridanus , 1,300 light-years away. Lynds rated it brightness class 4 of 6, moderately faint, and color class 3, reddish. It spans 20′ × 12′ of sky, about 7.6 light-years across. It is a faint target for long-exposure photography, and it is highest in the evening sky in January.
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 968 from Rigel
Rigel
LBN 968
ERIDANUS
LBN 968 lies 3.3° west of Rigel , the magnitude 0.2 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
LBN 968 is highest in the evening in January
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: 21° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 18° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 10° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -4° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -19° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -32° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -39° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -36° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -25° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -11° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 4° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 15° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 31° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 27° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 16° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -2° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -21° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -39° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -48° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -45° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -30° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -11° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 8° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 23° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 41° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 36° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 21° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -0° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -23° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -45° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -58° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -53° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -33° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -11° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 12° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 31° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 51° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 44° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 2° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -24° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -50° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -68° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -60° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -36° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -10° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 16° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 38° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 61° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 52° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 31° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 4° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -24° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -53° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -77° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -65° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -37° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -9° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 19° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 44° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 70° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 59° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 35° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 5° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -23° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -54° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -83° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -67° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -37° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -8° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 21° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 49° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 79° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 64° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 37° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 7° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -22° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -52° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -78° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -65° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -36° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -7° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 24° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 52° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 84° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 66° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 38° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 8° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -20° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -49° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -70° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -60° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -33° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -5° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 25° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 54° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 78° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 64° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 38° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 10° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -18° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -44° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -60° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -53° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -30° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -3° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 25° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 53° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 68° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 59° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 37° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 11° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -14° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -37° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -50° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -45° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -25° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -1° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 25° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 50° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 59° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 52° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 34° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 11° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -11° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -30° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -41° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -37° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -20° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 1° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 24° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 45° 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 81°N.
LBN 968 is 1,300 light-years away
The light seen from LBN 968 tonight left it about 1,300 years ago, around 726 AD. Distance source: Sh2-276, Orion OB1 / Orion complex about 400 pc, Foley et al. 2023 (A 3D View of Orion I: Barnard's Loop).
5 Lynds bright nebulae and 0 Lynds dark nebulae lie within 5° of LBN 968
The nearest:
LBN 959 Witch Head Nebula, reflection nebula, 1.0° LBN 975, reflection nebula, 1.1° LBN 980, emission nebula, 2.3° LBN 991, emission nebula, 4.3° LBN 917, reflection nebula, 4.6°
NGC and IC objects in the field that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
LBN 968 catalog data
Field Value
Designations LBN 968, DG 49 Constellation Eridanus Type emission and reflection nebula Right ascension (J2000) 05h 01.5m Declination (J2000) -08° 56′ Galactic longitude and latitude 208.39°, -28.45° Brightness class 4 of 6 (moderately faint) Color class 3 of 4 (reddish) Apparent size 20′ × 12′ True size 7.6 light-years Distance 1,300 light-years (Sh2-276, Orion OB1 / Orion complex about 400 pc, Foley et al. 2023 (A 3D View of Orion I: Barnard's Loop)) Best with Camera Best month January Catalog page LBN 501 to 1000
