NGC 6772 is a planetary nebula in Aquila, 3,290 light-years away
NGC 6772 (PN G033.1-06.3) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Aquila , 3,290 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 12.7 and spans 1.1′ of sky, about 1.0 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 6772 from λ Aql
λ Aql
NGC 6772
AQUILA
NGC 6772 lies 3.0° northeast of λ Aql , the magnitude 3.4 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 6772 is highest in the evening in August
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -25° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -32° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -31° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -21° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -8° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 7° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 20° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 27° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 25° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 16° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 2° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -12° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -32° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -42° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -40° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -27° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -9° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 10° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 27° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 37° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 34° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 22° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 4° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -15° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -39° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -52° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -49° 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: 13° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 33° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 46° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 43° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 27° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 5° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -17° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -44° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -62° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -57° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -36° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -11° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 16° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 39° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 56° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 52° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 32° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 7° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -19° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -48° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -71° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -65° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -39° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -11° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 18° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 44° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 65° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 60° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 36° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 8° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -20° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -51° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -79° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -70° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -40° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -11° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 19° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 48° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 74° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 66° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 39° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 9° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -20° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -51° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -81° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -71° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -40° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -11° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 20° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 49° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 80° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 69° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 40° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 9° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -20° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -49° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -75° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -67° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -39° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -10° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 20° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 49° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 78° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 68° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 40° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 10° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -19° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -45° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -66° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -61° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -36° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -9° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 19° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 47° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 70° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 64° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 38° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 10° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -18° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -40° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -56° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -53° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -32° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -8° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 18° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 43° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 61° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 57° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 35° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 10° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -16° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -34° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -47° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -44° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -28° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -6° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 17° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 38° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 52° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 48° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 31° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 9° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -13° 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 87°N.
NGC 6772 is 3,290 light-years away
The light seen from NGC 6772 tonight left it about 3,290 years ago. Distance source: Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (1009 pc).
Objects within 6° of NGC 6772
10 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 6778, planetary nebula, 1.5° NGC 6741 Phantom Streak Nebula, planetary nebula, 3.8° NGC 6760, globular cluster, 3.8° NGC 6751 Glowing Eye Nebula, planetary nebula, 3.9° NGC 6790, planetary nebula, 4.7° NGC 6749, globular cluster, 5.2°
NGC 6772 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Aquila Designations NGC 6772, PN G033.1-06.3 Type planetary nebula Right ascension (J2000) 19h 14.6m Declination (J2000) -02° 42′ Magnitude 12.7 (B 14.0) Apparent size 1.1′ True size 1.0 light-years Distance 3,290 light-years (Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (1009 pc)) Radial velocity 0 km/s Best with Large telescope Best month August Catalog page NGC 6501 to 7000
