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Crescent nebula

NGC 6888

Emission Nebula Good (43/100)
NGC 6888 EmissionNebula Cyg Visible Level 4 Large telescope (10"+) - Benefits from UHC/H-alpha filter
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Properties

Magnitude —
Angular Size 20.0′ × 10.0′
F, vL, vmE, ** att

Position & Identifiers

RA 20h 11m 60.0s
Dec +38° 21' 00.0"
Constellation Cyg
Catalog NGC 6888

Visibility

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Filter Response Guide

Eyepiece View

108x TFOV: 0.5° Lim. mag: 13.3
N E

Crescent nebula · 20.0′×10.0′ · N up, E left

Surface Brightness & Visibility

Survey Image

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About Crescent nebula

Description

The Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888) is an emission nebula in Cygnus, about 5,000 light-years away. It is formed by the fast stellar wind from the Wolf-Rayet star WR 136 colliding with slower material the star ejected when it was a red supergiant.

Observing Tips

A challenging visual target. An OIII filter is almost essential, revealing the crescent-shaped arc in an 8-inch or larger telescope. Located near the center of Cygnus in the rich Milky Way, which provides a spectacular star field. Best in summer.

History

Discovered by William Herschel on September 15, 1792. The nebula is a textbook example of a wind-blown bubble created by a massive star's violent final evolutionary stages before it eventually explodes as a supernova.

Fun Facts

The Wolf-Rayet star WR 136 at the center is losing mass at a staggering rate and will likely explode as a supernova within a few hundred thousand years. The nebula is expanding at about 75 km/s.