
NGC 6334 · nebula
Cat's Paw Nebula
NGC 6334 is a massive emission nebula and star-forming region located in the constellation Scorpius.
Image: NASA and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Identity & coordinates
Identification
- Primary designation
- NGC 6334
- All designations
- NGC 6334 · Cat's Paw Nebula
- Object type
- Nebula
- Constellation
- Scorpius
- Best viewing
- Summer
Coordinates & physical
- Right ascension (J2000)
- 17h 20m 49s
- Declination (J2000)
- −36° 06' 09"
- Apparent magnitude (V)
- —
- Distance
- —
Visibility tonight
The science
NGC 6334 is a massive emission nebula and star-forming region located in the constellation Scorpius. It is colloquially known as the Cat's Paw Nebula, and can be found 3° to the west-northwest of the bright star Lambda Scorpii. NGC 6334 was discovered by English astronomer John Herschel on June 7, 1837, who observed it from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. It spans an angular area larger than the full Moon. This structure is located in the Carina–Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way, at a distance of approximately 5.5 thousand light-years from the Sun.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia · CC-BY-SA-4.0
References
- SIMBAD Not resolved
- NED Fetched May 8, 2026 View in NED ↗
- Wikipedia Fetched May 8, 2026 Read full article ↗
1 merge conflict resolved
- coordinates: SIMBAD missing → NED used



