NGC 6210 · planetary nebula

Turtle Nebula

NGC 6210, sometimes also known as the Turtle Nebula, is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Hercules, approximately 5.4 ± 1.3 kly from the Sun.

RA16h 44m 29sDec+23° 47' 59"

Image: ESA/Hubble and NASA. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Identity & coordinates

Identification

Primary designation: NGC 6210
All designations: NGC 6210 · Turtle Nebula
Object type: Planetary Nebula
Constellation: Hercules
Best viewing: Spring · Summer

Coordinates & physical

Right ascension (J2000): 16h 44m 29s
Declination (J2000): +23° 47' 59"
Apparent magnitude (V): —
Distance: —
Redshift (z): 0.000047

III

Visibility tonight

The science

NGC 6210, sometimes also known as the Turtle Nebula, is a planetary nebula located in the constellation Hercules, approximately 5.4 ± 1.3 kly from the Sun. It is positioned about 38° above the galactic plane at a vertical distance of about 3.3 kilolight-years (1 kpc) and thus has little extinction from intervening interstellar dust. This object was first recorded as a star-like feature by Joseph Lalande on March 22, 1799. However, credit for the discovery of a nebula goes to Wilhelm Struve in 1825. John L. E. Dreyer described it as, "a planetary nebula, very bright, very small, round, disc and border".

Summary adapted from Wikipedia · CC-BY-SA-4.0