Sh2-51 is an emission nebula (H II region) in Sagittarius
Sh2-51 (LBN 65) is an emission nebula (H II region) in the constellation Sagittarius . 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.
Sh2-51 is Sh2-51 in the Sharpless catalog
Stewart Sharpless listed it in his catalog of H II regions (1959), drawn from the red and blue prints of the Palomar Sky Survey. He rated each region's brightness on a scale of 1 to 3; Sh2-51 is faint (class 1 of 3). It is also listed as LBN 65.
Finding Sh2-51 from ξ2 Sgr
ξ2 Sgr
Sh2-51
SAGITTARIUS
Sh2-51 lies 6.0° northwest of ξ2 Sgr , the magnitude 3.5 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
Sh2-51 is highest in the evening in August
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
60°N
JAN at 60°N: -41° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: -47° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: -42° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: -30° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: -15° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: -1° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 9° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 13° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: 10° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: 0° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -14° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -28° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -48° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: -57° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: -50° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: -33° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: -14° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 4° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 18° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 23° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: 19° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: 6° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -12° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -31° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -55° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: -67° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: -57° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: -35° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: -12° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 9° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 26° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 33° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: 27° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: 12° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -10° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -32° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -59° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: -77° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: -62° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: -36° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: -10° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 14° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 34° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: 43° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: 36° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: 17° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -7° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -33° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -61° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: -87° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: -64° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: -35° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: -8° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 19° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 42° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: 53° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: 44° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: 22° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -5° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -32° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -59° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: -83° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: -62° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: -33° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: -5° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 23° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 48° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: 63° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: 51° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: 26° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -2° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -30° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -56° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: -73° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: -58° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: -30° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: -2° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 27° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 54° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: 73° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: 57° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: 30° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: 1° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -27° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -50° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: -63° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: -52° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: -27° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 1° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 30° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 58° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: 83° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: 61° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: 33° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: 4° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -24° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -43° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: -53° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: -45° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: -22° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 3° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 31° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 59° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: 86° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: 62° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: 35° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: 7° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -19° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -35° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: -43° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: -36° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: -17° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 6° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 32° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 58° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: 76° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: 60° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: 35° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: 9° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -15° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -27° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: -33° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: -28° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: -12° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 9° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 32° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 54° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: 67° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: 56° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: 35° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: 11° 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 73°N, and never sets south of 73°S.
The distance to Sh2-51 is not well measured
Objects within 6° of Sh2-51
NGC 6645, open cluster, 2.0° M25, open cluster, 3.4° Sh2-50, emission nebula (H II region), 4.0° M17 Omega Nebula, diffuse nebula, 4.9° Sh2-48, emission nebula (H II region), 5.0° M18, open cluster, 5.1° Sh2-53, emission nebula (H II region), 5.1° Sh2-55, emission nebula (H II region), 5.2°
Sh2-51 catalog data
Field Value
Designations LBN 65 Type emission nebula (H II region) Constellation Sagittarius Right ascension (J2000) 18h 41.0m Declination (J2000) -16° 33′ Best month August Best with Telescope Sharpless number Sh2-51 Sharpless brightness Faint (class 1 of 3)
