Southern Crab Nebula
Also known as Hen 2-104
Southern Crab Nebula is a symbiotic star in the constellation Centaurus, about 15,400 light-years from Earth.
Hourglass nebula around a binary star, in Centaurus
Facts
| Type | Symbiotic star |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Centaurus |
| Position (J2000) | 14h 11m 52s, −51° 26′ |
| Distance | 15,400 light-years (its light set off about 15,400 years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 14.2 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 0.1′ × 0.1′ (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 | 243 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
Southern Crab Nebula is highest in the sky at midnight in April. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 19° above the horizon; from 50° N it never rises. 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 Centaurus
- Betta Fish Nebula
- Boomerang Nebula
- Centaurus A (NGC 5128)
- Mermaid Nebula
- Omega Centauri
- Running Chicken Nebula
- SN 1006
- Thackeray's Globules
Everything in Centaurus · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · Data sources & credits