Spirograph Nebula
Also known as IC 418
Spirograph Nebula is a planetary nebula in the constellation Lepus, about 5,050 light-years from Earth.
Planetary nebula in Lepus
Facts
| Type | Planetary nebula (spectral type O7fp) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Lepus |
| Position (J2000) | 5h 27m 28s, −12° 41′ |
| Distance | 5,050 light-years (its light set off about 5,050 years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 9.01 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 0.3′ × 0.3′ (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 | 1,066 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
Spirograph Nebula is highest in the sky at midnight in December. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 57° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 27°. 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 Lepus
Everything in Lepus · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits