NGC 6578 is a planetary nebula in Sagittarius, 11,900 light-years away
NGC 6578 (ESO 590-012) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Sagittarius , 11,900 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 12.9 and spans 8″ of sky, about 0.5 light-years across. It is faint: a 10-inch or larger telescope, or a camera, and it is highest in the evening sky in August.
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 6578 from Kaus Borealis
Kaus Borealis
NGC 6578
SAGITTARIUS
NGC 6578 lies 5.7° northwest of Kaus Borealis , the magnitude 2.8 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 6578 is highest in the evening in August
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -47° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -50° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -44° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -30° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -16° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -2° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 7° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 9° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 5° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -6° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -20° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -35° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -55° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -60° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -50° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -32° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -13° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 4° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 16° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 19° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 13° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -1° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -19° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -38° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -61° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -70° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -55° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -32° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -10° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 10° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 25° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 29° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 21° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 5° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -17° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -39° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -66° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -79° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -58° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -32° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 16° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 34° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 39° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 29° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 10° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -14° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -40° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -67° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -84° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -58° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -30° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -4° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 22° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 42° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 49° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 37° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 15° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -11° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -38° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -64° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -78° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -56° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -28° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 0° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 27° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 50° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 59° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 44° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 20° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -8° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -36° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -59° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -69° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -51° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -24° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 4° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 32° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 57° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 69° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 50° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 24° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -5° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -32° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -51° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -59° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -45° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -20° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 7° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 36° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 63° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 79° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 55° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 27° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -1° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -28° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -43° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -49° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -38° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -15° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 10° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 38° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 66° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 86° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 57° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 30° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 2° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -22° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -34° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -39° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -30° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -10° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 13° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 39° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 65° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 80° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 57° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 32° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 6° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -17° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -25° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -29° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -22° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -5° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 16° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 39° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 60° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 70° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 54° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 32° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 9° 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 70°N, and never sets south of 70°S.
NGC 6578 is 11,900 light-years away
The light seen from NGC 6578 tonight left it about 11,900 years ago. Distance source: Statistical distance, Stanghellini et al. 2008 (3638 pc).
Objects within 6° of NGC 6578
50 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 6590, reflection nebula, 37′ NGC 6589, nebula, 41′ IC 1284, nebula, 51′ NGC 6568, open cluster, 1.4° NGC 6567, planetary nebula, 1.5° NGC 6583, open cluster, 1.7° M24 Small Sagittarius Star Cloud, star association, 1.9° NGC 6603, open cluster, 2.1°
NGC 6578 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Sagittarius Designations NGC 6578, ESO 590-012, IRAS 18132-2028, PN G010.8-01.8 Type planetary nebula Right ascension (J2000) 18h 16.3m Declination (J2000) -20° 27′ Magnitude 12.9 (B 13.0) Apparent size 8″ True size 0.5 light-years Distance 11,900 light-years (Statistical distance, Stanghellini et al. 2008 (3638 pc)) Radial velocity 4 km/s Best with Large telescope Best month August Catalog page NGC 6501 to 7000
