RCW 132 is an emission nebula and cluster in Scorpius, 3,590 light-years away
RCW 132 (NGC 6383, Cr 335) is an emission nebula and cluster in the constellation Scorpius , 3,590 light-years away. spans 2.5′ of sky, about 2.6 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in August.
Nebula: a cloud of gas and dust. Emission nebulae glow on their own, lit by ultraviolet light from hot young stars; reflection nebulae shine by starlight scattered from dust; dark nebulae block the light behind them.
Finding RCW 132 from Shaula
Shaula
RCW 132
SCORPIUS
RCW 132 lies 4.5° north of Shaula , the magnitude 1.6 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
RCW 132 is highest in the evening in August
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -61° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -61° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -50° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -35° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -21° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -10° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -3° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -3° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -10° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -21° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -35° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -50° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -70° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -69° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -53° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -34° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -16° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -2° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 6° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 6° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -2° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -16° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -34° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -53° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -76° 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: -31° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -11° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 6° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 16° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 16° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 6° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -10° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -31° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -53° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -78° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -76° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -53° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -28° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -5° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 14° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 14° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -5° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -28° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -52° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -72° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -71° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -49° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -23° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 1° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 22° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 35° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 36° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 22° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 1° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -23° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -48° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -64° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -63° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -44° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -18° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 6° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 29° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 45° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 45° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 29° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 7° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -18° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -43° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -55° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -54° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -37° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -13° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 12° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 36° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 54° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 55° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 36° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 13° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -13° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -37° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -45° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -45° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -30° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -7° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 17° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 43° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 63° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 64° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 43° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 18° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -7° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -30° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -36° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -35° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -23° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -1° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 22° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 48° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 71° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 72° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 48° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 23° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -22° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -26° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -26° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -15° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 4° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 27° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 52° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 76° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 77° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 51° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 27° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 4° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -14° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -16° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -16° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -7° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 10° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 30° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 53° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 75° 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: 31° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 10° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -6° 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 57°N, and never sets south of 57°S.
RCW 132 is 3,590 light-years away
The light seen from RCW 132 tonight left it about 3,590 years ago. It ranks 6 of 47 by distance among the RCW nebulae with a measured distance. Distance source: Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023.
Objects within 6° of RCW 132
M6 Butterfly Cluster, open cluster, 1.2° RCW 133, emission nebula (H II region), 1.5° RCW 134, emission nebula (H II region), 3.4° RCW 135, planetary nebula, 3.4° NGC 6451, open cluster, 4.2° RCW 138, emission nebula (H II region), 4.3° RCW 128, emission nebula (H II region), 4.3° M7 Ptolemy's Cluster, open cluster, 4.6°
RCW 132 catalog data
Field Value
Designations NGC 6383, Cr 335 Type emission nebula and cluster Constellation Scorpius Right ascension (J2000) 17h 34.7m Declination (J2000) -32° 35′ Apparent size 2.5′ True size 2.6 light-years Distance 3,590 light-years (Gaia DR3, Hunt and Reffert 2023) Best month August Best with Telescope RCW number RCW 132
