NGC 246
Emission nebula | |
---|---|
Planetary nebula | |
Observation data: J2000 epoch | |
Right ascension | 00h 47m 03.338s[1] |
Declination | −11° 52′ 18.94″[1] |
Distance | 1,600 light-years ly |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 8[2] / 11.8 (central star)[1] |
Apparent dimensions (V) | 3.8′[2] |
Constellation | Cetus |
Physical characteristics | |
Radius | 2-3 light-years[3] ly |
Designations | Skull Nebula,[4] Pac-Man Nebula,[5] Caldwell 56, HIP 3678, PMN J0047-1152, 2E 178, PN VV 4, IRAS 00445-1207[1] |
NGC 246 (also known as the Skull Nebula[4] or Caldwell 56) is a planetary nebula in the constellation Cetus. The nebula and the stars associated with it are listed in several catalogs, as summarized by the SIMBAD database.[1] It is roughly 1,600 light-years away.[6] The nebula's central star is the 12th magnitude[6] white dwarf HIP 3678.
Among some amateur astronomers, NGC 246 is known as the "Pac-Man Nebula" because of the arrangement of its central stars and the surrounding star field.[5]
Image gallery[]
HaRGB image of The Skull Nebula (NGC 246). Data from the Liverpool Telescope, processed by Göran Nilsson. Total exposure time 1.1 hours.
NGC 246 acquired using the Schulman 0.8m Telescope atop Mount Lemmon, AZ. This is a full color (visual) image.
References[]
- ^ a b c d e "NGC 246". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2006-12-22.
- ^ a b "SEDS NGC Catalog Online". Results for NGC 246. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
- ^ "NGC 246". Astronomy: Stars & Planets. Retrieved 2013-01-07.
- ^ a b "The Night Sky", Astronomy Now, Oct 2008.
- ^ a b David H. Levy, Deep Sky Objects, Prometheus Books, 2005, ISBN 1-59102-361-0, p 129.
- ^ a b Stephen James O'Meara, The Caldwell Objects, Sky Publishing Corporation, ISBN 0-933346-97-2, p 223.
External links[]
- Media related to NGC 246 at Wikimedia Commons
- NGC 246 on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images
Categories:
- Planetary nebulae
- Cetus (constellation)
- NGC objects
- Caldwell objects
- Astronomical objects discovered in 1785
- Nebula stubs