RCW 44 is a planetary nebula in Vela, 5,220 light-years away
RCW 44 (PN G277.7-03.5) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Vela , 5,220 light-years away. spans 2′ of sky, about 3.0 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in March.
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 RCW 44 from Markeb
Markeb
RCW 44
VELA
RCW 44 lies 1.8° southeast of Markeb , the magnitude 2.5 star. That is within one binocular field.
RCW 44 is highest in the evening in March
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -40° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -31° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -27° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -27° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -32° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -41° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -52° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -67° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -82° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -81° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -66° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -52° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -32° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -22° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -17° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -17° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -23° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -33° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -47° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -63° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -80° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -79° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -62° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -46° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -24° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -13° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -7° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -7° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -25° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -40° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -57° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -71° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -71° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -56° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -40° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -16° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -4° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 3° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -4° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -17° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -33° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -49° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -62° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -61° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -48° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -32° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -8° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 6° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 13° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 13° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 5° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: -9° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -25° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -41° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -52° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -52° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -40° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -24° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: 1° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 15° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 23° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 22° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 14° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: -0° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: -17° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -32° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -42° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -42° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -31° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -16° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: 9° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 24° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 32° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 32° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 23° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 8° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: -8° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -23° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -33° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -32° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -23° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -8° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: 18° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 33° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 42° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 42° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 32° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 16° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 0° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -14° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -23° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -22° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -13° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: 1° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 26° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 42° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 52° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 52° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 41° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 24° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 9° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -5° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -13° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -13° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -4° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: 9° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 34° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 50° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 62° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 62° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 49° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 32° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 17° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 4° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -3° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -3° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 5° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 17° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 41° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 58° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 71° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 71° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 57° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 40° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 25° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 13° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 7° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 7° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 14° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 26° 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 34°N, and never sets south of 34°S.
RCW 44 is 5,220 light-years away
The light seen from RCW 44 tonight left it about 5,220 years ago. It ranks 21 of 47 by distance among the RCW nebulae with a measured distance. Distance source: Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (1600 pc).
Objects within 6° of RCW 44
RCW 43 Flying Jaw Nebula, planetary nebula, 37′ C90, planetary nebula, 2.4° RCW 42, emission nebula (H II region), 4.4° RCW 46, emission nebula (H II region), 4.9° RCW 47, emission nebula (H II region), 5.1° RCW 45, emission nebula (H II region), 5.6°
RCW 44 catalog data
Field Value
Designations PN G277.7-03.5 Type planetary nebula Constellation Vela Right ascension (J2000) 09h 31.3m Declination (J2000) -56° 18′ Apparent size 2′ True size 3.0 light-years Distance 5,220 light-years (Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (1600 pc)) Best month March Best with Telescope RCW number RCW 44
