Planetary nebula NGC
7009 in Aquarius
Description of NGC 7009 in
The Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000:
Ring structure; involved in a larger
and fainter halo of nebulosity;
anomalous in form.
Quote from Burnham's
Celestial Handbook:
......first observed by Sir William
Herschel in 1782. It was called by Lord Rosse the "Saturn" Nebula
from the extending rays .... which project from the main disc......
The nebula has a rather high surface
brightness and appears nearly stellar in small low power telescopes......
..a strikingly beautiful object in large telescopes, shining with a vivid
green fluorescent glow. The flattened central disc measures about 25"
X 17" and is enclosed in a larger shell about 30" X 26".
There is considerable intricate detail in both rings, and the two projecting
rays end in bright condensations about 44" apart...... The central
star is an extremely hot bluish dwarf with a continuous spectrum, and a
computed temperature of about 55,000K. Strong ultraviolet radiation from
the star is the cause of the bright fluorescent glow of the nebulosity
and the green tint is due to-the radiation of doubly ionized oxygen.....
- NGC 7009
- Other ID: PK 37-34.1
- Magnitude: 8.3
- Constellation: Aquarius
- RA: 21h 04m 12.0s
- Dec: -11d 22' 00"
Epoch 2000
- Size (mins): 1.7
- Classification: Planetary
nebula, irregular.
Click below
to
George Normandin, KAS
October 26th, 1997