Ghost Head Nebula is a H II region in Dorado, 161,700 light-years away
Ghost Head Nebula (NGC 2080, ESO 057-012) is a H II region in the constellation Dorado , 161,700 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 10.0. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in February.
Nebula: a cloud of gas and dust. Emission nebulae glow on their own, lit by ultraviolet light from hot young stars; reflection nebulae shine by starlight scattered from dust; dark nebulae block the light behind them.
Finding Ghost Head Nebula from Canopus
Canopus
Ghost Head Nebula
DORADO
Ghost Head Nebula lies 17.7° south of Canopus , the magnitude -0.6 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
Ghost Head Nebula is highest in the evening in February
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: -40° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -40° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -43° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -50° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -58° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -69° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -78° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -79° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -70° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -59° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -50° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -44° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -30° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -30° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -34° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -41° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -50° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -61° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -69° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -69° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -61° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -51° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -42° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -34° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -20° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -20° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -24° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -32° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -41° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -52° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -59° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -60° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -53° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -43° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -32° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -25° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -10° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -10° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -14° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -22° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -32° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -43° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -49° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -50° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -43° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -34° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -23° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -15° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -0° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -0° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -5° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -13° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -23° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -33° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -39° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -40° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -34° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -24° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -14° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -5° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 10° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 10° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 5° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -4° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -23° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -29° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -30° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -24° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -15° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -4° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 4° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 20° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 20° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 15° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 6° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -4° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -14° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -19° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -20° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -14° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -6° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 5° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 14° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 30° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 30° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 24° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 15° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 5° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -4° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -9° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -10° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -5° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 4° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 14° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 24° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 39° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 40° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 34° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 24° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 14° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 5° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 0° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 0° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 5° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 13° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 24° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 33° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 49° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 49° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 44° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 34° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 24° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 15° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 10° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 10° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 15° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 23° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 33° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 43° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 59° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 59° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 53° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 43° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 33° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 25° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 20° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 20° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 24° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 32° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 42° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 52° 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 20°N, and never sets south of 20°S.
Ghost Head Nebula is 161,700 light-years away
The light seen from Ghost Head Nebula tonight left it about 161,700 years ago. It ranks 120 of 124 by distance among the nebulae on Go Astronomy. Distance source: LMC eclipsing binaries, Pietrzynski 2019 (49.59 kpc).
Objects within 6° of Ghost Head Nebula
Ghost Head Nebula catalog data
Field Value
Designations NGC 2080, ESO 057-012 Type H II region Constellation Dorado Right ascension (J2000) 05h 39.8m Declination (J2000) -69° 39′ Magnitude 10.0 Surface brightness 11.2 mag/arcmin² Distance 161,700 light-years (LMC eclipsing binaries, Pietrzynski 2019 (49.59 kpc)) Best month February Best with Telescope
