NGC 5979 is a planetary nebula in Triangulum Australe, 11,700 light-years away
NGC 5979 (ESO 136-003) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Triangulum Australe , 11,700 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 11.5 and spans 8″ of sky, about 0.4 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in July.
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 5979 from Rigil Kentaurus
Rigil Kentaurus
NGC 5979
TRIANGULUM AUSTRALE
NGC 5979 lies 8.2° east of Rigil Kentaurus , the magnitude -0.0 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
NGC 5979 is highest in the evening in July
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -84° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -69° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -57° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -45° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -37° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -32° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -32° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -35° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -43° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -54° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -67° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -81° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -77° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -64° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -51° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -38° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -28° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -22° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -22° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -26° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -35° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -47° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -62° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -75° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -67° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -56° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -43° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -29° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -19° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -12° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -12° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -17° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -27° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -40° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -54° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -66° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -58° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -48° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -35° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -21° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -10° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -2° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -2° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -7° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -18° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -32° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -46° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -57° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -48° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -39° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -27° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -12° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -0° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 7° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 8° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 2° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -9° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -23° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -37° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -47° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -38° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -30° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -18° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -3° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 9° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 17° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 18° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 12° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -0° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -14° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -28° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -37° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -28° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -21° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -9° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 5° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 18° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 27° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 28° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 21° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 8° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -6° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -19° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -27° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -18° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -11° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -0° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 14° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 28° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 37° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 38° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 30° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 17° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 3° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -10° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -17° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -8° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 9° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 23° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 37° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 47° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 48° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 40° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 26° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 12° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -0° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -7° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 2° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 8° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 18° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 31° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 45° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 56° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 58° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 49° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 34° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 21° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 9° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 2° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 12° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 17° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 26° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 39° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 54° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 66° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 68° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 57° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 43° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 29° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 18° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 12° 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 29°N, and never sets south of 29°S.
NGC 5979 is 11,700 light-years away
The light seen from NGC 5979 tonight left it about 11,700 years ago. Distance source: Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (3586 pc).
Objects within 6° of NGC 5979
9 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 6025, open cluster, 2.1° NGC 6005, open cluster, 3.9° NGC 5999, open cluster, 4.8° NGC 6087 S Nor Cluster, open cluster, 5.1° IC 4585, barred spiral galaxy, 5.3° NGC 6156, late spiral galaxy, 5.8° NGC 5938, barred spiral galaxy, 5.8°
NGC 5979 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Triangulum Australe Designations NGC 5979, ESO 136-003, 2MASX J15474191-6113079, IRAS 15434-6103, PN G322.5-05.2 Type planetary nebula Right ascension (J2000) 15h 47.7m Declination (J2000) -61° 13′ Magnitude 11.5 (B 11.0) Apparent size 8″ True size 0.4 light-years Distance 11,700 light-years (Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (3586 pc)) Radial velocity 23 km/s Central star HD 140586, magnitude 15.0 Best with Telescope Best month July Catalog page NGC 5501 to 6000
