RA 3.2543° · Dec 72.5219° · openngc
18 more points to reach Anomaly.
Bow-Tie nebula is an epic nebula. It lies about 6,470.1 light-years from Earth, sits in the constellation Cep and shines at apparent magnitude 11.89.
A planetary nebula: the shed outer atmosphere of a dying Sun-like star, lit from within by the naked stellar core left behind.
Look for Bow-Tie nebula in the constellation Cep. At apparent magnitude 11.89, a small backyard telescope will bring it into view.
Like any astronomical target, Bow-Tie nebula is best seen from a dark site away from city lights, and when it is above the horizon depends on your latitude and the time of year. The visibility panel above works out tonight's viewing window for your saved location.
Bow-Tie nebula scores 60 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the epic tier. Another 18 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 7 science badges — Nebula, Distant (over 1,000 light-years), Has a proper name, Planetary nebula (a dying star's shell), Never sets (northern circumpolar), Coming towards us and Its dying star is still visible — each earned for a real, measurable property of the object. Rarity on Spacedle is never random: the more remarkable an object's astrophysics, the more badges it collects, the higher it scores, and the rarer it ranks.