Butterfly Nebula
Also known as NGC 6302
Butterfly Nebula is a planetary nebula in the constellation Scorpius, about 2,430 light-years from Earth.
Planetary nebula with a very hot central star
Facts
| Type | Planetary nebula (spectral type O-rich) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Scorpius |
| Position (J2000) | 17h 13m 44s, −37° 06′ |
| Distance | 2,430 light-years (its light set off about 2,430 years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 9.6 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 0.5′ × 0.5′ (the full Moon is about 31′) |
| Filter | OIII filter (Planetary nebulae and supernova remnants shine mostly in the green light of doubly ionised oxygen: an OIII filter passes it and darkens the sky around it.) |
| Studied in | 827 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
Butterfly Nebula is highest in the sky at midnight in June. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 33° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 3°. To see it you need a small telescope.
Heights are worked out for India and for 50° N. Set your location in Settings to see them for where you are.
For tonight's best time from your own town, the darkness and the Moon, open it on the map and see its "Tonight from your location" card.
More in Scorpius
- Butterfly Cluster (M6)
- Cat's Paw Nebula
- Fried Egg Nebula
- M4 (NGC 6121)
- M80 (NGC 6093)
- Prawn Nebula
- Ptolemy Cluster (M7)
- War and Peace Nebula
Everything in Scorpius · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits