NGC 2899 is a planetary nebula in Vela, 6,360 light-years away
NGC 2899 (ESO 166-013, PN G277.1-03.8) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Vela , 6,360 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 11.8 and spans 1.5′ of sky, about 2.8 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 2899 from Markeb
Markeb
NGC 2899
VELA
NGC 2899 lies 1.3° southeast of Markeb , the magnitude 2.5 star. That is within one binocular field.
NGC 2899 is highest in the evening in March
JAN
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -39° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -31° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -27° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -27° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -32° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -41° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -53° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -67° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -82° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -80° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -65° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -51° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -32° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -22° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -17° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -17° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -23° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -34° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -47° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -64° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -80° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -78° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -61° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -46° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -24° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -12° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -7° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -7° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -26° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -41° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -58° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -72° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -70° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -55° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -39° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -16° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -3° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 3° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -5° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -18° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -33° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -50° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -62° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -61° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -48° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -32° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -7° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 6° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 13° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 13° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 5° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -9° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -25° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -42° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -53° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -52° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -40° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -24° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 1° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 15° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 23° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 22° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 14° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -1° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -17° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -33° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -43° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -42° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -31° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -16° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 10° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 25° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 33° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 32° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 23° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 7° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -9° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -24° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -33° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -32° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -22° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -7° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 18° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 34° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 43° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 42° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 32° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 16° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: -1° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -15° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -23° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -22° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -13° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 1° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 26° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 42° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 52° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 52° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 40° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 24° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 8° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -6° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -13° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -13° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -4° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 10° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 34° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 51° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 62° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 61° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 49° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 32° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 16° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 4° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -3° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -3° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 5° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 18° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 42° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 59° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 71° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 71° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 56° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 39° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 24° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 13° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 7° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 7° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 14° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 26° 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 34°N, and never sets south of 34°S.
NGC 2899 is 6,360 light-years away
The light seen from NGC 2899 tonight left it about 6,360 years ago. Distance source: Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (1950 pc).
Objects within 6° of NGC 2899
10 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
IC 2488, open cluster, 54′ NGC 2867, planetary nebula, 2.3° NGC 2925, open cluster, 2.9° NGC 3033, open cluster, 3.0° NGC 2910, open cluster, 3.2° IC 2501, planetary nebula, 4.3° NGC 3105, open cluster, 4.9°
NGC 2899 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Vela Designations NGC 2899, ESO 166-013, PN G277.1-03.8 Type planetary nebula Right ascension (J2000) 09h 27.0m Declination (J2000) -56° 06′ Magnitude 11.8 (B 12.0) Apparent size 1.5′ True size 2.8 light-years Distance 6,360 light-years (Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (1950 pc)) Radial velocity 3 km/s Best with Telescope Best month March Catalog page NGC 2501 to 3000
