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Bubble Nebula

NGC 7635

C11 EmissionNebula Cassiopeia Visible Level 6 Professional/Research - Benefits from UHC/H-alpha filter
Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble Heritage Team. License: Public domain. (Wikimedia Commons)
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Properties

Magnitude 11.0
Angular Size 15.0′ × 8.0′
Distance 11000 ly
Emission Nebula [Distance: 11000 ly]

Position & Identifiers

RA 23h 13m 40.1s
Dec +61° 12' 00.0"
Constellation Cassiopeia
Catalog C11

Visibility

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Survey Image

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About Bubble Nebula

Description

The Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635) is an emission nebula in Cassiopeia, about 7,100 light-years away. The bubble is created by the stellar wind from the massive O-type star SAO 20575 (BD+60 2522), which blows a shell of gas about 10 light-years across.

Observing Tips

The bubble itself is very faint visually; at least an 8-inch telescope with an OIII or UHC filter is needed to see more than the bright star. Larger apertures (12-inch+) begin to reveal the arc of the bubble. Best in autumn evenings.

History

Discovered by William Herschel in 1787. The Bubble Nebula gained fame through Hubble Space Telescope imagery that revealed its nearly perfect spherical shell in stunning detail.

Fun Facts

The bubble is being inflated by a star 10-20 times more massive than the Sun with a surface temperature of 37,500 K. The bubble is not perfectly centered on the star because the surrounding interstellar medium is denser on one side.

Community Photos (1)

Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble Heritage Team. License: Public domain. (Wikimedia Commons)

Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble Heritage Team. License: Public domain. (Wikimedia Commons)

Skybred Mar 2, 2026