Saturn Nebula
Scientific overview
Saturn Nebula is a planetary nebula in the constellation Aquarius. It shines at apparent magnitude 8 and spans about 0.7 arcminutes of sky.
Observation guide
Guidance follows standard observing practice, derived from the object's real magnitude and position. A dark, moonless sky always helps.
Location in the sky
Precision measurements
Distances and velocities from SIMBAD · NGC 7009
| Distance | 4,488 ly | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Physical size (major axis) | 0.913836 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Physical size (minor axis) | 0.67885 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Radial velocity | -46.6 ± 0.9 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 316.045065 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | -11.363494 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Distance: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · mesDistance · dist · 2010ApJ...714.1096S · catalogued value · source value 1.376 kpc · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Physical size (major axis): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · derived (OpenNGC angular size × SIMBAD distance) · physical size = angular size × distance (small-angle); angular size from OpenNGC, distance from SIMBAD mesDistance · derived · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Physical size (minor axis): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · derived (OpenNGC angular size × SIMBAD distance) · physical size = angular size × distance (small-angle); angular size from OpenNGC, distance from SIMBAD mesDistance · derived · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Radial velocity: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · rvz_radvel · 1953GCRV..C......0W · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · 2020yCat.1350....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · 2020yCat.1350....0G · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
Physical size is derived from the OpenNGC angular size and the catalogued distance (small-angle: size = angle × distance). This is a Galactic object: its Doppler shift is shown as a radial velocity, not a cosmological redshift. Fields a source did not provide are omitted, never invented.
Other objects in Aquarius
| Object | Type | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|
| M 2M 2 · NGC 7089 | Globular cluster | 6.25 | 8.4 |
| Helix NebulaC 63 · NGC 7293 | Planetary nebula | 7.3 | 16.33 |
| M 72M 72 · NGC 6981 | Globular cluster | 8.96 | 4.5 |
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- OpenNGCOpenNGC (M. Verga) — NGC/IC, Messier, and Caldwell catalogue data
Openly-licensed deep-sky catalogue: object types, positions, magnitudes, sizes, morphology, and cross-identifiers.