NGC 6072 is a planetary nebula in Scorpius, 3,400 light-years away
NGC 6072 (ESO 389-015) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Scorpius , 3,400 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 11.7 and spans 1.2′ of sky, about 1.2 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 6072 from η Lup
η Lup
NGC 6072
SCORPIUS
NGC 6072 lies 3.3° northeast of η Lup , the magnitude 3.4 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 6072 is highest in the evening in July
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: -66° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -57° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -43° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -28° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -16° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -8° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -6° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -11° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -20° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -33° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -48° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -62° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -75° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -60° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -43° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -24° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -9° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 1° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 4° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -2° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -14° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -30° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -49° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -68° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -84° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -61° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -40° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -19° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -2° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 10° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 14° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 7° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -7° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -26° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -48° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -70° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -82° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -59° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -37° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -14° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 6° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 20° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 24° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 16° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -1° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -21° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -45° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -69° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -73° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -54° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -32° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -8° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 13° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 29° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 34° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 25° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 6° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -16° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -40° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -63° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -63° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -48° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -26° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -2° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 20° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 38° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 44° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 33° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 13° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -10° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -35° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -56° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -53° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -40° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -20° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 4° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 27° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 47° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 54° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 41° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 19° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -4° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -28° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -47° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -43° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -32° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -14° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 10° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 34° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 55° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 63° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 49° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 25° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 2° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -21° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -38° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -33° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -24° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -7° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 16° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 39° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 63° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 73° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 55° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 31° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 8° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -14° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -29° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -24° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -15° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -0° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 21° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 44° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 68° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 83° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 60° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 36° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 13° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -7° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -20° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -14° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -7° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 7° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 26° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 47° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 70° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 85° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 62° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 39° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 19° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 1° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -11° 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 54°N, and never sets south of 54°S.
NGC 6072 is 3,400 light-years away
The light seen from NGC 6072 tonight left it about 3,400 years ago. Distance source: Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (1043 pc).
Objects within 6° of NGC 6072
8 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 6072 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Scorpius Designations NGC 6072, ESO 389-015, 2MASX J16125713-3613263, IRAS 16097-3606, PN G342.1+10.8 Type planetary nebula Right ascension (J2000) 16h 13.0m Declination (J2000) -36° 14′ Magnitude 11.7 (B 14.0) Apparent size 1.2′ True size 1.2 light-years Distance 3,400 light-years (Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (1043 pc)) Radial velocity 12 km/s Best with Telescope Best month July Catalog page NGC 6001 to 6500
