Crescent Nebula
Also known as NGC 6888
Crescent Nebula is an HII region (glowing hydrogen) in the constellation Cygnus, about 5,650 light-years from Earth.
Shell around a Wolf-Rayet star
Facts
| Type | HII region (glowing hydrogen) (spectral type WN6(h)-s) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cygnus |
| Position (J2000) | 20h 12m 06s, +38° 21′ |
| Distance | 5,650 light-years (its light set off about 5,650 years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 7.5 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 20′ × 10′ (the full Moon is about 31′) |
| Filter | UHC (narrowband) filter (Glowing gas shines in a few colours of hydrogen and oxygen: a UHC filter passes those and blocks most light pollution and sky glow.) |
| Studied in | 718 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
Crescent Nebula is highest in the sky at midnight in July. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 72° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 78°. To see it you need binoculars.
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 Cygnus
- Cooling Tower Cluster (M29)
- Cygnus A
- Cygnus X-1
- Fireworks Galaxy
- M39 (NGC 7092)
- North America Nebula
- Pelican Nebula
- Veil Nebula
Everything in Cygnus · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits