Astronauts
Astronomy
Constellation
Deep Sky Objects
Moon
Stargazing
Telescope
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Accuracy & Corrections Terms & Condition
COPYRIGHT. All contents of on the site comporting the Starlust branding are Copyright 2019. All rights reserved.
STARLUST.ORG / DEEP SKY OBJECTS

Planetary Nebulae

Planetary nebulae are shells of gas thrown out by some stars near the end of their lives.
UPDATED JUN 26, 2024
the helix planetary nebula
the helix planetary nebula

Planetary nebulae are shells of gas thrown out by some stars near the end of their lives. They are transient phenomenons, lasting between 30,000 and 100,000 years between formation and complete dissipation. It is likely that our own Sun will become a planetary nebula after exhausting its supply of nuclear fuel, about five billion years from now.

Generally when observing planetary nebulae use the highest power your telescope can give. Also, an OIII filter is of great use for finding small planetaries that could easily be mistaken for a star. 

To identify a planetary nebula with such a filter you must repeat observations with and without the filter, and the nebula will appear to “blink on” when the filter is in place. If you don’t have a filter, another technique is using a prism that reveals the planetary nebula’s spectrum. However, the prism doesn’t work for very faint planetaries.

Because planetary nebulae have a reasonably high surface brightness, it is possible to observe most of them from moderately light-polluted locations, with telescopes of at least 150 mm.

Planetary nebulae observed with a 114-mm telescope

NGC 7009 (Saturn Nebula) is a spectacular planetary in Aquarius. At 50x is easily detectable from a star, but I didn’t manage to see its characteristic, elongated shape. You can’t miss it, it’s the brightest object in a one-degree area. Using 120x I’ve managed to see its elongated shape, but no other details.

NGC 6445 (Little Gem Nebula) in Sagittarius is small and pretty faint. It has a round shape and gets brighter towards the center. Close to the nebula, to the west, I’ve seen a bright double star.

NGC 3242 is also known as “The ghost of Jupiter”, because when seen through a telescope it has a similar diameter with that of the planet. It is easily seen at 36x, bright but with no visible details. Using 120x the round shape is more evident, but I still haven’t managed to see any details.

Using 50x NGC 7662 is easily detectable from a star, its color is slightly red. Using 120x the central hole is easily seen, it looks like a miniature version of M 57 in Lyra.

M97 (Owl Nebula) – using 120x the round shape is evident, and the light is evenly spread. Two dark portions are visible, embedded in the nebula.

NGC 7293 (Helix Nebula) is the largest planetary nebula, it is easily seen even at a power of 4x, on superb skies. Using 50x I’ve managed to see a huge circle of diffuse light. It was a difficult object for me to observe, because of the moderately light-polluted sky.

M57 in Lyra is the most famous of all planetary nebulae. At 120x its central hole is easily seen, the nebula has an oval shape and the disk is not uniformly bright. Two darker portions that seem to cut the nebulae’s disk in half are easily seen.

M76 (Little Dumbbell Nebula) is a planetary nebula in Perseus. All that I could note was a small gray area roughly 3×2 arcminutes in size. The nebula takes well high magnification, probably 120x is ideal.

NGC 6826 (Blinking Nebula) is located south of the spectacular double star 16 Cygni. At 36x I’ve almost mistook it for a star. Using 120x I’ve easily managed to see its very bright disk.

I’ve first seen NGC 6543 (Cat’s Eye Nebula) through a friend’s 200-mm telescope. It is extremely bright, at 400x the disc is easily seen. With my 114-mm telescope, the nebula can only be seen using averted vision.

M27 is a big, bright, rectangular fuzzy patch at 36x. The twin lobes of the “dumbbell” shape were detectable with averted vision. The southern lobe was somewhat smaller and brighter than the northern lobe.

Planetary nebulae observed with a 60-mm telescope

M57 is very difficult with a 60-mm refractor. At 36x it is easily mistaken for a star and the central hole is visible only with averted vision.

M27 – Round, evenly spread light. In the north and south, some dark intrusions are visible with averted vision.

MORE ON Starlust
On July 20, the crescent moon will approach within a degree of the Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters, creating a stunning visual.
1 day ago
The pioneering project is set to transform our understanding of the Sun's mysterious interior.
2 days ago
Some theories suggest that our sun was in a similar state before the planets were all formed.
5 days ago
Discovered on July 1, the celestial body 3I/ATLAS is currently approaching Earth from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius.
5 days ago
Historically revered as Zeus's powerful eagle, bearing lightning and messages, this celestial constellation reaches its highest point in the sky during July and August.
5 days ago
With its unparalleled infrared capabilities, Webb now accomplishes what was once impossible, transforming our view of the cosmos from distant galaxies to our solar system.
6 days ago
An autonomous docking for the Progress 92 is anticipated around 5:27 p.m. EDT on Saturday, July 5.
Jul 4, 2025
This lift-off, from Kennedy Space Center's historic Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A), marked yet another crucial orbital mission for SpaceX.
Jul 2, 2025
The advanced LOFAR radio telescope enabled scientists to detect a massive cloud of high-energy particles around a galaxy cluster whose light traveled 10 billion years to Earth.
Jul 1, 2025
The new image specifically highlights the eastern reaches of Arcadia Planitia, a crucial area northwest of the massive Tharsis volcanic province.
Jun 30, 2025
The spiral galaxy UGC 11397, in the constellation Lyra, is home to a supermassive black hole aggressively consuming material at its core.
Jun 30, 2025
The New Shepard program's 33rd overall flight, a suborbital journey lasting approximately 10 minutes, lifted off from Launch Site One in West Texas at 9:39 a.m. CDT.
Jun 30, 2025
The dwarf galaxy NGC 4449, just 12.5 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici, is a standout 'starburst galaxy.'
Jun 29, 2025
The new image combines data from across the electromagnetic spectrum, giving astronomers a complete picture of Andromeda's complex structure.
Jun 27, 2025
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope recently captured an image of the spiral galaxy IC 758, located 60 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major.
Jun 22, 2025
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, launching in 2027, will use gravitational lensing, a phenomenon Einstein predicted over a century ago, to study the mystery of dark matter.
Jun 22, 2025
Essential for galactic evolution, mergers impact the layout of gas, the motion of stars, and a galaxy's overall structure, ultimately leading to greater stellar mass.
Jun 21, 2025
Scientists are shedding new light on Cosmic Noon, a crucial era 10 to 12 billion years in the past when stars formed at rates 10 to 100 times greater than what we see now.
Jun 21, 2025
Climate change has amplified wildfires across Canada and the western US.
Jun 21, 2025
By the night of June 19, Mars officially entered the Spring Triangle, and it'll continue to skim its lower edge until mid-September.
Jun 19, 2025