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PLANETARY NEBULAE : Part 2


SELECTED LIST of BRIGHT PLANETARIES
For MODERATE to SMALL TELESCOPES


Placed below is a short table of some of the brighter PNes that are commonly observed. All are visible in dark skies using just a star atlas and are suitable for small apertures. As your skills develop so that you you may like to search for other fainter or smaller objects.

Catalog.
Number
Common
Name
Con R.A.
(2000)
h m.m
Dec.
(2000)
 o mm
Mag. Type Diameter
(arcsec)
Nearest
Star
NGC 246 Skull Cet 00 47.1 -11 52 8.0 3b 268″×222″ φ2 Cet
NGC 650-1 M76/ Little Dumbbell Per 01 42.3 +51 35 12.2 3+6 95″×42″ φ Per
NGC 1360 - For 03 33.3 -25 52 9.6 3 200″×170″ α For
NGC 1514 - Tau 04 09.3 +30 46 10.0 3+2 136″×121″ ζ Aur
NGC 1535 - Eri 04 14.3 -12 44 9.6 4+2c 21″ γ Eri
NGC 2392 Eskimo Nebula Gem 07 29.2 +20 55 9.9 3b+3b 19.5″ δ Gem
NGC 2438 Pup 07 41.8 -14 44 10.1 4+2 64″ 2 Pup*
IC 2448 - Car 09 07.1 -69 57 10.5 2b 9.0″ β Car
NGC 2867 Car 09 21.4 -58 19 9.7 4 24″ ι Car
NGC 3132 Eight-Burst Nebula Vel 10 07.0 -40 26 8.2 4+2 47″ q Vel
NGC 3195 The Grey Nebula” Cha 10 19.4 -80 52 11.6 3 38″ ζ Cha
NGC 3242 Ghost of Jupiter Hya 10 25.8 -18 38 8.6 4+3b 75″ μ Hya
NGC 3587 M97 / Owl Nebula UMa 11 14.8 +55 01 12.0 3a 210″×203″ β UMa
NGC 3918 The Blue Planetary Cen 11 50.3 -57 11 8.4 2b 12″ ο Cru
NGC 4361 -- Crv 12 24.5 -18 47 10.3 3a+2 118″ δ Crv
NGC 5189 The Spiral Planetary Mus 13 34.5 -65 59 10.3 5 180″×120″ η Mus
NGC 5307 Cen 13 51.1 -51 12 12.1 3 13″ M Cen
NGC 5315 - Cir 13 54.0 -66 31 9.8 2 6″ α Cir
IC 4406 Retina Nebula Lup 14 22.4 -44 09 10.6 4+3 106″×38″ ι Lup
NGC 5882 - Lup 15 16.8 -45 39 9.4 ?? 5″/20″ λ Lup
NGC 5844 - TrA 15 10.7 -64 40 13.2 ?? 73″×52″ η Cir
NGC 6210 Her 16 44.5 +23 49 9.3 2+3b >14″ 55 Her
NGC 6302 Bug Nebula Sco 17 13.8 -37 06 12.8 6 44.5″ λ Sco
NGC 6445 Little Gem Nebula Sgr 17 49.3 -20 00 13.2 3b+3 33″ μ Sgr
NGC 6543 Cats Eye Dra 17 58.6 +66 38 8.8 3a+2 19.5″ ζ Dra
NGC 6572 Oph 18 12.1 +06 51 9.0 2a 8″ 71 Oph
NGC 6720 M57 / Ring Nebula Lyr 18 54.6 -06 26 9.7 4+3 70″×150″ β Lyr
NGC 6818 Little Gem Nebula Sgr 19 44.0 -14 09 9.9 4 17″ 55 Sgr
NGC 6853 M27 / Dumbbell Neb Vul 19 59.6 +22 43 12.2 4+2 400″ 14 Vul
NGC 7009 Saturn Nebula Aqu 21 04.2 -11 22 8.3 4+6 25″×100″ υ Aqr
NGC 7293 Helix Nebula Aqu 22 29.7 -20 48 7.5 4+3 900″×900″ u Aqr
NGC 7662 Blue Snowball And 23 25.9 -42 32 9.2 4+3 17″ ι And

* NGC 2438 is contained within the the Star Cluster NGC 2437 or M46.

Carpe Noctem * : My Top 10 Planetaries


This is a very tough choice because of the wide variety of objects to select from. Magnitude is certainly the major factor, but personally I think that visible structure and colour ranks more important in suitability and attractiveness, but after much contemplation, these are my own Top Ten Planetaries.

My Selected Top Ten

  1. NGC 7298 Helix Nebula in Aquarius (Biggest and nearest PNe.)
  2. NGC 6853 / M27 / Dumbbell Nebula in Vulpecula. Changes shape/structure through different apertures
  3. NGC 3132 Eight-Burst Nebula in Vela — Just stunning!
  4. NGC 5189 Spiral Planetary in Musca — Unusual shape and simply amazing!
  5. NGC 6720 / M57 / Ring Nebula in Lyra — Classic type
  6. NGC 3918 Blue Planetary in Centaurus — Easy planetary to find and appears blindingly bright.
  7. NGC 1514 in Taurus — First found planetary
  8. NGC 5844 in TrA. Bright, easy to find. Commonly unlisted and unobserved.
  9. NGC 3195 Grey Nebula in Chameleon : Changes appearance in different apertures
  10. NGC 7662 Blue Snowball Nebula in Andromeda — Just love the gorgeous rich blue colour.
  • =10 NGC 7354 in Cepheus — Quite pretty nebula with interesting internal structure. Observed once in 1997 from Devon in the Westcountry of the U.K.

Honourable Mentions (in no particular order)

  • NGC 6543 Cats Eye Nebula in Draco — really love the HST image!
  • NGC 4361 in Corvus — really nice!!
  • NGC 2818 in Pyxis — attractiveness increased as in open cluster
  • NGC 2392 Gemini — Brightest known planetary in the sky
  • NGC 3242 Ghost of Jupiter in Hydra — Stunningly bright and large.
  • NGC 3587 / M97 Owl Nebula — As Dame Edna would say; Spooky, darlings….”
  • NGC 6445 in Sagittarius. Crescent Nebula. Odd-shape & colour. Must see in large Dobsonian
  • NGC 4071 in Musca — A personal favourite though needs large apertures.
  • NGC 1535 in Eridanus — A whooping 9.6 magnitude. Odd colour
  • IC 4406 in Lupus — Ultimate square peg in an expected round hole — brilliant!
  • NGC 5882 in Lupus — opposite to IC 4406 dull blue colours.
  • He2-434 in Pavo — Little lost planetary in the middle of nowhere.
* (Carpe Noctem, parvulus — Seize the Night, Baby!)

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Last Update : 27th November 2012

Southern Astronomical Delights © (2012)

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