RCW 69 is a planetary nebula in Crux, 4,890 light-years away
RCW 69 (PN G302.1+00.3) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Crux , 4,890 light-years away. spans 5′ of sky, about 7.1 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in May.
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 69 from Acrux
Acrux
RCW 69
CRUX
RCW 69 lies 2.1° east of Acrux , the magnitude 0.8 star. That is within one binocular field.
RCW 69 is highest in the evening in May
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -63° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -51° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -42° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -35° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -33° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -34° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -40° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -49° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -61° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -74° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -87° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -77° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -57° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -43° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -33° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -25° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -23° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -25° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -31° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -42° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -55° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -68° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -77° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -70° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -49° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -35° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -24° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -16° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -13° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -15° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -22° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -34° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -47° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -60° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -67° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -62° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -41° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -27° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -15° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -6° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -3° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -5° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: -13° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -25° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -39° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -51° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -57° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -53° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -32° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -18° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -6° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 3° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 7° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 5° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: -4° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -16° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -30° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -42° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -47° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -43° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -23° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -9° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 3° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 13° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 17° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 14° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 5° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -8° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -22° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -33° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -37° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -34° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -14° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -0° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 12° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 23° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 27° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 24° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 15° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 1° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -12° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -23° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -27° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -24° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -5° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 8° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 21° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 32° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 37° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 34° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 24° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 10° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -3° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -13° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -17° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -14° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: 4° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 17° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 30° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 42° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 47° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 44° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 33° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 19° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 6° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -4° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -7° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -5° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 14° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 26° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 39° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 51° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 57° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 53° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 41° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 27° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 15° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 6° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 3° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: 5° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 23° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 34° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 47° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 60° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 67° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 62° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 50° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 36° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 24° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 16° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 13° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 15° 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 27°N, and never sets south of 27°S.
RCW 69 is 4,890 light-years away
The light seen from RCW 69 tonight left it about 4,890 years ago. It ranks 18 of 47 by distance among the RCW nebulae with a measured distance. Distance source: Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (1500 pc).
Objects within 6° of RCW 69
C98, open cluster, 32′ RCW 68, emission nebula (H II region), 49′ C99 Coalsack Nebula, dark nebula, 1.1° RCW 67, emission nebula (H II region), 1.1° RCW 71, emission nebula (H II region), 1.2° RCW 66, emission nebula (H II region), 1.3° RCW 70, planetary nebula, 1.4° RCW 65, emission nebula (H II region), 1.4°
RCW 69 catalog data
Field Value
Designations PN G302.1+00.3 Type planetary nebula Constellation Crux Right ascension (J2000) 12h 44.4m Declination (J2000) -62° 31′ Apparent size 5′ True size 7.1 light-years Distance 4,890 light-years (Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (1500 pc)) Best month May Best with Telescope RCW number RCW 69
