NGC 2818 is a planetary nebula in Pyxis, 7,830 light-years away
NGC 2818 (ESO 372-013) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Pyxis , 7,830 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 11.6 and spans 50″ of sky, about 1.9 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in March.
Planetary nebula: a shell of gas thrown off by a dying Sun-like star and lit by the hot core left behind, which becomes a white dwarf. The name comes from their small, round, planet-like look in early telescopes.
Finding NGC 2818 from Suhail
Suhail
NGC 2818
PYXIS
NGC 2818 lies 7.0° north of Suhail , the magnitude 2.2 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 2818 is highest in the evening in March
JAN
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MAR
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JUL
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DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: -22° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -12° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -7° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -8° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -15° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -26° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -40° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -55° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -66° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -63° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -51° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -36° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -16° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -3° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 2° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -21° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -39° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -58° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -75° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -71° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -52° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -33° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -10° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 5° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 13° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 11° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 1° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -16° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -36° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -58° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -82° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -74° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -51° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -30° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -3° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 14° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 23° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 21° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 9° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -10° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -32° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -56° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -79° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -72° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -48° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -25° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 3° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 23° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 32° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 31° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 17° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -4° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -27° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -51° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -71° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -66° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -43° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -20° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 10° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 31° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 42° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 40° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 25° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 2° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -21° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -45° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -62° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -58° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -38° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -14° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 16° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 39° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 52° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 49° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 32° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 8° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -15° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -38° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -52° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -49° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -31° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -8° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 22° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 46° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 61° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 58° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 39° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 14° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -9° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -30° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -42° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -40° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -24° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -2° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 28° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 52° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 71° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 66° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 44° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 20° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -22° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -33° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -30° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -16° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 4° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 33° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 57° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 78° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 73° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 49° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 25° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 4° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -13° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -23° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -21° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -8° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 10° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 37° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 60° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 81° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 75° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 52° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 30° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 11° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -5° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -13° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -11° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -1° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 16° 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 53°N, and never sets south of 53°S.
NGC 2818 is 7,830 light-years away
The light seen from NGC 2818 tonight left it about 7,830 years ago. Distance source: Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (2400 pc).
Objects within 6° of NGC 2818
8 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 2818A, cluster with nebula, 1′ NGC 2845, lenticular galaxy, 1.5° NGC 2883, barred irregular galaxy, 3.2° NGC 2849, open cluster, 3.9° IC 2469, barred spiral galaxy, 4.4° NGC 2792, planetary nebula, 5.8°
NGC 2818 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Pyxis Designations NGC 2818, ESO 372-013, IRAS 09140-3625, PN G261.9+08.5 Type planetary nebula Right ascension (J2000) 09h 16.0m Declination (J2000) -36° 38′ Magnitude 11.6 (B 13.0) Apparent size 50″ True size 1.9 light-years Distance 7,830 light-years (Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (2400 pc)) Radial velocity -1 km/s Best with Telescope Best month March Catalog page NGC 2501 to 3000
