NGC 4071 is a planetary nebula in Musca, 7,310 light-years away
NGC 4071 (ESO 094-012) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Musca , 7,310 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 13.0 and spans 1.1′ of sky, about 2.2 light-years across. It is faint: a 10-inch or larger telescope, or a camera, and it is highest in the evening sky in May.
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 4071 from Acrux
Acrux
NGC 4071
MUSCA
NGC 4071 lies 4.8° southwest of Acrux , the magnitude 0.8 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 4071 is highest in the evening in May
JAN
FEB
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APR
MAY
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JUL
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -60° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -50° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -43° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -38° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -37° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -40° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -46° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -55° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -67° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -78° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -82° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -72° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -53° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -42° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -34° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -29° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -27° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -31° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -38° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -48° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -59° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -69° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -72° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -65° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -45° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -33° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -25° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -19° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -17° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -21° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -28° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -39° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -51° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -60° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -62° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -56° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -36° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -24° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -15° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -9° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -11° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -19° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -30° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -42° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -50° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -52° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -47° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -27° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -15° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -6° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 1° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 3° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -2° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -10° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -21° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -33° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -41° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -42° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -37° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -17° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -6° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 4° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 11° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 13° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 8° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -1° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -12° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -23° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -31° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -32° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -27° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -8° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 3° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 13° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 21° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 23° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 18° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 9° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -3° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -14° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -21° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -22° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -18° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 1° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 13° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 23° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 31° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 33° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 28° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 18° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 6° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -4° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -11° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -12° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -8° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 11° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 22° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 32° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 41° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 42° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 37° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 27° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 16° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 5° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -1° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 2° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 20° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 31° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 41° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 50° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 52° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 47° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 36° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 25° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 15° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 9° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 8° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 11° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 29° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 40° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 50° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 60° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 62° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 56° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 45° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 34° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 24° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 19° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 17° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 21° 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 23°N, and never sets south of 23°S.
NGC 4071 is 7,310 light-years away
The light seen from NGC 4071 tonight left it about 7,310 years ago. Distance source: Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (2241 pc).
Objects within 6° of NGC 4071
11 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 4463, open cluster, 3.6° NGC 4052, open cluster, 4.1° IC 2944 Lambda Centauri Nebula, cluster with nebula, 5.2° NGC 4372 Dark Doodad Nebula, globular cluster, 5.7° NGC 4349, open cluster, 5.8° NGC 4609 Coalsack Cluster, open cluster, 5.9° NGC 4815, open cluster, 5.9°
NGC 4071 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Musca Designations NGC 4071, ESO 094-012, IRAS 12016-6701, PN G298.3-04.8 Type planetary nebula Right ascension (J2000) 12h 04.3m Declination (J2000) -67° 19′ Magnitude 13.0 (B 12.0) Apparent size 1.1′ True size 2.2 light-years Distance 7,310 light-years (Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (2241 pc)) Radial velocity 11 km/s Best with Large telescope Best month May Catalog page NGC 4001 to 4500
