NGC 6879 is a planetary nebula in Sagitta, 25,100 light-years away
NGC 6879 (PN G057.2-08.9) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Sagitta , 25,100 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 12.5 and spans 5″ of sky, about 0.6 light-years across. It is faint: a 10-inch or larger telescope, or a camera, and it is highest in the evening sky in September.
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 6879 from Altair
Altair
NGC 6879
SAGITTA
NGC 6879 lies 9.4° northeast of Altair , the magnitude 0.8 star. A fist held at arm's length covers about 10°.
NGC 6879 is highest in the evening in September
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -2° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -11° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -13° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -8° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 3° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 17° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 32° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 44° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 47° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 40° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 26° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 12° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -8° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -20° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -23° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -16° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -2° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 17° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 35° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 52° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 57° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 46° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 28° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 9° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -15° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -29° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -33° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -24° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 15° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 38° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 59° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 66° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 51° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 29° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 6° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -21° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -38° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -43° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -32° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -12° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 13° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 39° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 64° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 76° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 55° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 28° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 3° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -26° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -47° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -53° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -39° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -16° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 11° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 38° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 67° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 83° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 56° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 27° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 0° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -31° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -55° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -63° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -46° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -20° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 8° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 37° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 66° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 81° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 54° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 25° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -3° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -35° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -62° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -72° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -51° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -24° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 6° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 34° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 61° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 72° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 51° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 22° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -6° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -38° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -67° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -81° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -55° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -26° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 3° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 30° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 54° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 62° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 45° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 19° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -9° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -40° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -68° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -84° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -56° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -28° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -1° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 25° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 46° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 53° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 39° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 15° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -11° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -40° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -66° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -76° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -55° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -30° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -4° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 20° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 38° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 43° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 32° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 11° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -14° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -39° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -60° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -66° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -51° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -30° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -6° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 14° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 29° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 33° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 24° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 6° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -15° 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 northern hemisphere and south to about 73°S, and never sets north of 73°N.
NGC 6879 is 25,100 light-years away
The light seen from NGC 6879 tonight left it about 25,100 years ago. Distance source: Statistical distance, Stanghellini et al. 2008 (7692 pc).
Objects within 6° of NGC 6879
11 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
IC 4997, planetary nebula, 2.3° NGC 6886, planetary nebula, 3.1° NGC 6905 Blue Flash Nebula, planetary nebula, 4.3° NGC 6891, planetary nebula, 4.4° M71 Messier 71, globular cluster, 4.4°
NGC 6879 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Sagitta Designations NGC 6879, PN G057.2-08.9, IRAS 20081+1646 Type planetary nebula Right ascension (J2000) 20h 10.4m Declination (J2000) +16° 55′ Magnitude 12.5 (B 13.0) Apparent size 5″ True size 0.6 light-years Distance 25,100 light-years (Statistical distance, Stanghellini et al. 2008 (7692 pc)) Radial velocity 7 km/s Best with Large telescope Best month September Catalog page NGC 6501 to 7000
