RCW 93 is a planetary nebula in Norma, 4,550 light-years away
RCW 93 (PN G322.4-02.6) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Norma , 4,550 light-years away. spans 2′ 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 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 RCW 93 from Rigil Kentaurus
Rigil Kentaurus
RCW 93
NORMA
RCW 93 lies 7.0° east of Rigil Kentaurus , the magnitude -0.0 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
RCW 93 is highest in the evening in July
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -82° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -67° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -54° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -43° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -34° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -30° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: -30° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: -34° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -43° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -54° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -68° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -82° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -77° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -62° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -48° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -35° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -25° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: -20° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: -20° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: -25° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -35° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -48° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -63° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -78° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -68° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -55° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -41° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -27° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -16° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: -10° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: -10° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: -16° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -27° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -41° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -56° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -69° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -59° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -47° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -33° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -18° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -7° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: -0° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 0° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -7° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -19° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -33° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -48° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -59° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -49° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -39° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -25° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -10° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 2° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 10° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 10° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 3° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -10° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -25° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -40° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -49° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -39° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -30° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -17° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -1° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 12° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 20° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 20° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 12° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -1° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -16° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -31° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -40° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -30° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -21° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -8° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 7° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 21° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 30° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 30° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 21° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 7° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -8° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -22° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -30° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -20° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -11° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 1° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 16° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 30° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 40° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 40° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 30° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 16° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 1° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -12° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -20° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -10° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -2° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 9° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 25° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 39° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 49° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 49° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 39° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 24° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 10° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -3° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -10° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: 0° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 7° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 18° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 33° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 48° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 59° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 59° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 48° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 33° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 18° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 6° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -0° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: 10° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 16° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 26° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 41° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 56° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 69° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 69° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 56° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 41° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 27° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 16° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: 10° 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 31°N, and never sets south of 31°S.
RCW 93 is 4,550 light-years away
The light seen from RCW 93 tonight left it about 4,550 years ago. It ranks 16 of 47 by distance among the RCW nebulae with a measured distance. Distance source: Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (1395 pc).
Objects within 6° of RCW 93
RCW 91, emission nebula (H II region), 2.5° RCW 89, supernova remnant, 2.7° RCW 92, emission nebula (H II region), 3.3° RCW 88, emission nebula (H II region), 3.8° C95, open cluster, 3.9° RCW 87, emission nebula (H II region), 4.1° RCW 96, emission nebula (H II region), 4.6° RCW 90, planetary nebula, 4.9°
RCW 93 catalog data
Field Value
Designations PN G322.4-02.6 Type planetary nebula Constellation Norma Right ascension (J2000) 15h 34.3m Declination (J2000) -59° 09′ Apparent size 2′ True size 2.6 light-years Distance 4,550 light-years (Gaia extinction distance, Deng et al. 2025 (1395 pc)) Best month July Best with Telescope RCW number RCW 93
