Iris Nebula
Scientific overview
Iris Nebula is a nebula in the constellation Cepheus. It shines at apparent magnitude 7.2 and spans about 10 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 7023
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 315.40375 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | 68.163333 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · 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 Cepheus
| Object | Type | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NGC 7160NGC 7160 | Open cluster | 6.1 | 4.2 |
| NGC 7380NGC 7380 | Cluster with nebulosity | 7.2 | 25 |
| NGC 7234NGC 7234 | Open cluster | 7.7 | 2.4 |
| NGC 6939NGC 6939 | Open cluster | 7.8 | 12 |
| NGC 7510NGC 7510 | Open cluster | 7.9 | 3.9 |
| NGC 188C 1 · NGC 188 | Open cluster | 8.1 | 17.7 |
| NGC 7261NGC 7261 | Open cluster | 8.4 | 6.9 |
| NGC 7142NGC 7142 | Open cluster | 9.3 | 9.6 |
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.