NGC7009 · Saturn Nebula
| Chinese name | 土星星云 |
|---|---|
| Type | Planetary nebula |
| Constellation | Aqr |
| RA | 21h04m |
| Dec | −11° |
| Apparent magnitude | 8ᵐ |
| Hemisphere | Both hemispheres |
| Best season | Autumn |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Focal length | 长焦 1500mm+ |
About
About 5,000 light-years away in Aquarius, the Saturn Nebula is a planetary nebula ejected by a central white dwarf. It shows a bright blue-green ellipse with thin jet-like 'ansae' protruding from each end, making it resemble ringed Saturn in small telescopes. Bright but tiny, it needs large aperture and long focal length to reveal the jet detail, a high-magnification planetary target.