RCW 89

RCW 89 is a supernova remnant in Circinus, 17,000 light-years away

RCW 89 (SNR G320.4-1.2) is a supernova remnant in the constellation Circinus, 17,000 light-years away. spans 4′ of sky, about 20 light-years across. It is a telescope object, 6 inches or larger, and it is highest in the evening sky in June.

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.

RCW 89 is RCW 89 in the RCW catalog of southern H-alpha regions

A. W. Rodgers, C. T. Campbell and J. B. Whiteoak listed it in their catalog of H-alpha emission regions in the southern Milky Way (1960), from photographs taken at Mount Stromlo Observatory.

Finding RCW 89 from Rigil Kentaurus

RCW 89 lies 4.6° east of Rigil Kentaurus, the magnitude -0.0 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.

RCW 89 is highest in the evening in June

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 31°N, and never sets south of 31°S.

RCW 89 is 17,000 light-years away

The light seen from RCW 89 tonight left it about 17,000 years ago. It is the farthest of the RCW nebulae with a measured distance. Distance source: HI, Gaensler et al. 1999 (5.2 kpc).

Objects within 6° of RCW 89

• RCW 91, emission nebula (H II region), 52′
• RCW 88, emission nebula (H II region), 1.5°
• RCW 87, emission nebula (H II region), 1.8°
• RCW 92, emission nebula (H II region), 2.5°
• RCW 93, planetary nebula, 2.7°
• RCW 90, planetary nebula, 3.2°
• C88, open cluster, 3.6°
• RCW 86, supernova remnant, 5.4°

RCW 89 catalog data