NGC 6884 is a planetary nebula in Cygnus, 12,500 light-years away
NGC 6884 (PN G082.1+07.0) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Cygnus , 12,500 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 10.9 and spans 6″ of sky, about 0.4 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, 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 6884 from Deneb
Deneb
NGC 6884
CYGNUS
NGC 6884 lies 5.5° west of Deneb , the magnitude 1.3 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 6884 is highest in the evening in September
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: 25° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 18° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 17° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 20° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 29° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 42° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 56° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 70° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 76° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 65° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 50° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 36° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 17° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 8° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 7° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 11° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 22° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 37° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 54° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 74° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 84° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 66° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 47° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 31° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 9° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -1° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -3° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 2° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 14° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 31° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 50° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 71° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 82° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 63° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 42° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 24° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 0° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -11° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -13° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -7° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 6° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 25° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 45° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 65° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 73° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 58° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 37° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 17° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -8° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -21° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -23° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -16° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -1° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 18° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 39° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 57° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 63° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 50° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 30° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 10° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -16° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -30° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -33° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -25° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -9° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 11° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 31° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 48° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 53° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 42° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 23° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 3° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -24° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -40° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -43° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -34° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -17° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 4° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 24° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 39° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 43° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 34° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 16° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -4° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -32° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -49° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -53° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -43° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -24° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -3° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 15° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 30° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 33° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 25° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 8° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -11° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -40° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -58° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -63° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -51° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -31° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -11° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 7° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 20° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 23° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 16° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 1° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -19° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -46° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -66° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -73° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -58° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -38° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -18° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -1° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 11° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 13° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 7° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -7° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -25° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -52° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -72° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -83° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -63° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -43° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -24° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -9° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 1° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 3° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -2° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -15° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -32° 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 44°S, and never sets north of 44°N.
NGC 6884 is 12,500 light-years away
The light seen from NGC 6884 tonight left it about 12,500 years ago. Distance source: Statistical distance, Stanghellini et al. 2008 (3830 pc).
Objects within 6° of NGC 6884
7 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 6884 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Cygnus Designations NGC 6884, PN G082.1+07.0, IRAS 20088+4618 Type planetary nebula Right ascension (J2000) 20h 10.4m Declination (J2000) +46° 28′ Magnitude 10.9 (B 12.0) Apparent size 6″ True size 0.4 light-years Distance 12,500 light-years (Statistical distance, Stanghellini et al. 2008 (3830 pc)) Radial velocity -36 km/s Central star HD 191916, magnitude 15.0 Best with Telescope Best month September Catalog page NGC 6501 to 7000
