NGC 246

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Planetary Nebula
NGC 246
Image taken with the 81 cm reflecting telescope of the Mount Lemmon Observatory
Image taken with the 81 cm reflecting telescope of the Mount Lemmon Observatory
AladinLite
Constellation whale
Position
equinox : J2000.0
Right ascension 00h 47m 03.3s
declination -11 ° 52 ′ 17 ″
Appearance
Apparent brightness  (visual) 10.9 likes 
Apparent brightness  (B-band) 8.0 likes 
Angular expansion 4.08 ′ × 4.08 ′  
Central star
designation HIP 3678 
Apparent brightness +11.77 mag 
Spectral class B0 
Physical data
Redshift +0.000130 
Radial velocity +39 km / s 
distance 2,055 ly
(630 pc ) 
Absolute brightness +11.78 mag 
history
discovery FW Herschel
Date of discovery November 27, 1785
Catalog names
 NGC  246 •  PK  118-74.1 •  GC  131 •  H  V 25 •  h  56 • PN G118.8-74.7

NGC 246 is the name for a planetary nebula in the constellation Whale .

properties

NGC 246 is approximately 2000 light-years away and has an angular extent of 4.0 '× 3.5'. The absolute brightness is +11.78 mag, its apparent brightness is 10.9 mag. The nebula is formed by a star in its center in the final stage of its development, which sheds its outer shell. The central star develops into a hot white dwarf .

The planetary nebula NGC 246 was discovered on November 27, 1785 by the German-British astronomer Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel . In the English-speaking world, the object has the common name "skull nebula" because of its rough resemblance to a skull.

Web links

Commons : NGC 246  - collection of images, videos, and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. NASA / IPAC EXTRAGALACTIC DATABASE
  2. NGC 246
  3. a b SIMBAD database, operated at CDS, Strasbourg, France
  4. a b The Hipparcos and Tycho Catalogs at ESA
  5. Astronomie.de / the meeting point for astronomy. Retrieved August 9, 2020 .
  6. NGC 246 and the Dying Star - Astronomy Picture of the Day of April 18, 2006 (English).
  7. Seligman