Red Spider Nebula (NGC 6537)
Also known as Red Spider Nebula · NGC 6537
Red Spider Nebula (NGC 6537) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Sagittarius, about 12,420 light-years from Earth.
Facts
| Type | Planetary nebula |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Sagittarius |
| Position (J2000) | 18h 05m 13s, −19° 50′ |
| Distance | 12,420 light-years (its light set off about 12,420 years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 13.58 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 0.3′ × 0.2′ (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 | 442 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
Red Spider Nebula (NGC 6537) is highest in the sky at midnight in June. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 50° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 20°. To see it you need a large telescope or long-exposure photos.
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 Sagittarius
- Lagoon Nebula (M8)
- M18 (NGC 6613)
- M21 (NGC 6531)
- M23 (NGC 6494)
- Omega Nebula (M17)
- Sagittarius A*
- Sagittarius Cluster (M22)
- Trifid Nebula (M20)
Everything in Sagittarius · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits