Cheerio Nebula is a planetary nebula in Scorpius, 5,380 light-years away
Cheerio Nebula (RCW 123, NGC 6337, ESO 333-5, PN G349.3-01.1) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Scorpius , 5,380 light-years away. spans 47″ of sky, about 1.2 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in July.
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 Cheerio Nebula from Shaula
Shaula
RCW 123
SCORPIUS
Cheerio Nebula lies 2.6° southwest of Shaula , the magnitude 1.6 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
Cheerio Nebula is highest in the evening in July
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -67° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -65° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -54° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -38° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -25° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -9° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -10° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -16° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -27° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -42° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -56° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -76° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -72° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -55° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -36° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -19° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -6° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 1° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 0° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -8° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -22° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -40° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -58° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -81° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -75° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -54° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -32° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -13° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 3° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 11° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 10° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -0° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -16° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -36° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -58° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -78° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -72° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -51° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -27° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -6° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 11° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 21° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 19° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 8° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -10° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -32° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -55° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -69° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -65° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -45° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -22° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 0° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 19° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 30° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 29° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 16° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -3° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -27° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -50° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -60° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -57° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -39° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -16° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 7° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 28° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 40° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 39° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 24° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 3° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -21° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -43° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -50° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -48° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -32° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -10° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 13° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 35° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 50° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 48° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 31° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 9° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -14° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -36° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -40° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -38° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -25° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -3° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 20° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 43° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 59° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 57° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 38° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 15° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -8° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -28° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -31° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -29° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -17° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 3° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 26° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 49° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 69° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 66° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 44° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 21° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -1° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -20° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -21° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -19° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -9° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 10° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 31° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 54° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 77° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 73° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 49° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 27° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 5° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -11° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -11° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -9° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -0° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 16° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 35° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 58° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 80° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 76° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 53° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 32° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 12° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -3° 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 52°N, and never sets south of 52°S.
Cheerio Nebula is 5,380 light-years away
The light seen from Cheerio Nebula tonight left it about 5,380 years ago. It ranks 22 of 47 by distance among the RCW nebulae with a measured distance. Distance source: Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (1650 pc).
Objects within 6° of Cheerio Nebula
RCW 122, emission nebula (H II region), 38′ RCW 125, emission nebula (H II region), 1.5° C69 Bug Nebula, planetary nebula, 2.2° RCW 118, emission nebula (H II region), 2.2° RCW 128, emission nebula (H II region), 2.2° RCW 126, emission nebula (H II region), 2.4° RCW 117, emission nebula (H II region), 4.0°
Cheerio Nebula catalog data
Field Value
Designations RCW 123, NGC 6337, ESO 333-5, PN G349.3-01.1 Type planetary nebula Constellation Scorpius Right ascension (J2000) 17h 22.3m Declination (J2000) -38° 29′ Apparent size 47″ True size 1.2 light-years Distance 5,380 light-years (Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (1650 pc)) Best month July Best with Telescope RCW number RCW 123
