NGC 6881 is a planetary nebula in Cygnus, 17,400 light-years away
NGC 6881 (PN G074.5+02.1) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Cygnus , 17,400 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 13.9 and spans 4″ of sky, about 0.4 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 6881 from Sadr
Sadr
NGC 6881
CYGNUS
NGC 6881 lies 3.6° southwest of Sadr , the magnitude 2.2 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 6881 is highest in the evening in September
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 17° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 9° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 7° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 12° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 21° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 34° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 49° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 63° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 67° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 58° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 43° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 29° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 9° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -0° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -2° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 3° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 15° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 31° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 49° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 69° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 77° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 61° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 42° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 24° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 1° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -10° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -12° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -6° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 8° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 27° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 48° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 71° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 84° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 62° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 39° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 19° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -6° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -19° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -22° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -15° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 1° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 22° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 44° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 69° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 81° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 59° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 35° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 13° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -14° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -29° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -32° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -24° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -6° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 16° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 40° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 63° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 72° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 54° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 30° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 7° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -21° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -38° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -42° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -32° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -13° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 11° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 34° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 55° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 62° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 48° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 25° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 1° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -28° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -47° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -52° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -40° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -20° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 5° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 27° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 46° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 52° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 40° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 18° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -5° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -35° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -56° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -62° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -48° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -26° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -2° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 20° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 37° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 42° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 32° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 12° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -11° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -41° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -64° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -72° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -55° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -31° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -8° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 13° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 28° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 32° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 23° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 5° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -17° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -46° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -70° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -82° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -60° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -36° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -14° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 5° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 19° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 22° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 15° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -2° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -22° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -49° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -72° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -85° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -62° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -40° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -19° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -2° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 9° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 12° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 6° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -9° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -27° 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 53°S, and never sets north of 53°N.
NGC 6881 is 17,400 light-years away
The light seen from NGC 6881 tonight left it about 17,400 years ago. Distance source: Statistical distance, Stanghellini et al. 2008 (5340 pc).
Objects within 6° of NGC 6881
14 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 6888 Crescent Nebula, H II region, 58′ IC 4996, open cluster, 1.1° NGC 6883, open cluster, 1.6° NGC 6871, open cluster, 1.9° M29 Cooling Tower, open cluster, 2.8° IC 1318 Sadr Region, star, 3.6° NGC 6910, open cluster, 4.1° NGC 6857, H II region, 4.3°
NGC 6881 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Cygnus Designations NGC 6881, PN G074.5+02.1, IRAS 20090+3715 Type planetary nebula Right ascension (J2000) 20h 10.9m Declination (J2000) +37° 25′ Magnitude 13.9 (B 14.0) Apparent size 4″ True size 0.4 light-years Distance 17,400 light-years (Statistical distance, Stanghellini et al. 2008 (5340 pc)) Radial velocity -15 km/s Best with Large telescope Best month September Catalog page NGC 6501 to 7000
