Pelican Nebula
Also known as IC 5070
Pelican Nebula is an HII region (glowing hydrogen) in the constellation Cygnus, about 1,890 light-years from Earth.
Emission nebula in Cygnus
Facts
| Type | HII region (glowing hydrogen) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cygnus |
| Position (J2000) | 20h 51m 00s, +44° 24′ |
| Distance | 1,890 light-years (its light set off about 1,890 years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 8 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 60′ × 50′ (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 | 219 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
Pelican Nebula is highest in the sky at midnight in August. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 66° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 84°. 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
- Egg Nebula
- Fireworks Galaxy
- M39 (NGC 7092)
- North America 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