NGC 7048 is a planetary nebula in Cygnus, 5,850 light-years away
NGC 7048 (PN G088.7-01.6) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Cygnus , 5,850 light-years away. It shines at magnitude 12.1 and spans 1′ of sky, about 1.7 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 7048 from Deneb
Deneb
NGC 7048
CYGNUS
NGC 7048 lies 5.8° east of Deneb , the magnitude 1.3 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
NGC 7048 is highest in the evening in September
JAN
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: 30° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 21° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 17° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 18° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 24° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 34° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 48° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 63° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 75° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 72° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: 58° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: 43° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: 23° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 12° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 7° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 8° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 15° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 28° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 45° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 63° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 83° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 76° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: 57° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: 39° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: 16° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 3° 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: 7° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 22° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 40° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 60° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 81° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 74° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: 53° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: 34° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: 8° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -6° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -13° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -12° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -2° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 15° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 34° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 55° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 72° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 67° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: 48° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: 28° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: 1° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -15° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -23° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -21° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -10° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 8° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 28° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 48° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 63° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 59° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: 41° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: 21° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -7° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -24° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -33° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -31° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -19° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 0° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 21° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 40° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 53° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 50° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: 34° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: 14° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -14° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -33° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -43° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -41° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -27° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: -7° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 13° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 32° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 43° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 40° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 26° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: 7° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -22° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -41° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -53° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -50° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: -35° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: -14° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 6° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 23° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 33° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 31° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 18° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -1° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -29° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -49° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -62° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -59° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: -42° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: -21° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 14° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 23° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 21° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 9° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -8° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -35° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -56° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -72° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -68° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: -49° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: -28° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: -9° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 6° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 13° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 12° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 1° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -15° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -41° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -62° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -80° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -74° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: -54° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: -34° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: -17° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -3° 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: -7° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -22° 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 7048 is 5,850 light-years away
The light seen from NGC 7048 tonight left it about 5,850 years ago. Distance source: Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (1793 pc).
Objects within 6° of NGC 7048
28 NGC and IC objects lie within 6°. The nearest that are brighter than magnitude 12.5 or have their own page:
NGC 7039, open cluster, 54′ IC 1369, open cluster, 1.5° NGC 7062, open cluster, 1.6° NGC 7026, planetary nebula, 2.1° NGC 7067, open cluster, 2.4° NGC 7082, open cluster, 2.7° NGC 7000 North America Nebula, H II region, 3.2° NGC 6997, cluster with nebula, 3.5°
NGC 7048 catalog data
Field Value
Constellation Cygnus Designations NGC 7048, PN G088.7-01.6, IRAS 21124+4604 Type planetary nebula Right ascension (J2000) 21h 14.3m Declination (J2000) +46° 17′ Magnitude 12.1 (B 11.0) Apparent size 1′ True size 1.7 light-years Distance 5,850 light-years (Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (1793 pc)) Radial velocity -50 km/s Best with Large telescope Best month September Catalog page NGC 7001 to 7500
