RA 271.3046° · Dec -19.8430° · openngc
17 more points to reach Anomaly.
Red Spider Nebula is an epic nebula. It sits in the constellation Sgr and shines at apparent magnitude 11.6.
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 Red Spider Nebula in the constellation Sgr. At apparent magnitude 11.6, a small backyard telescope will bring it into view.
Like any astronomical target, Red Spider 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.
Red Spider Nebula scores 61 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the epic tier. Another 17 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 7 science badges — Nebula, Has a proper name, Planetary nebula (a dying star's shell), Toward the galactic centre, On the zodiac, 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.