About Helix Nebula
Helix Nebula is a common nebula. It sits in the constellation Aqr and shines at apparent magnitude 7.3.
Clouds of gas and dust light-years across, where new stars are forged.
Common nebula 22 EP
Helix Nebula
RA 337.4107° · Dec -20.8373° · openngc
Score breakdown
· 3 badgesCommon 24 pts → Uncommon
- Nebula +8
- Has a proper name +8
- Bright deep-sky object +6
Total score 22
2 more points to reach Uncommon.
Badges
- Nebula · +8
- Bright deep-sky object · +6
- Has a proper name · +8
Trivia
How we found it
- Named. Notable enough to have earned a proper name, not just a catalogue number.
Cosmic context
- Stellar nursery. Clouds of gas and dust light-years across, where new stars are forged.
Properties
- constellation
- Aqr
- dso type
- PN
- mag
- 7.3
- name
- Helix Nebula
- named
- yes
How to see it
Look for Helix Nebula in the constellation Aqr. At apparent magnitude 7.3, it is an easy target for binoculars.
Like any astronomical target, Helix 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.
Why Helix Nebula is a common nebula
Helix Nebula scores 22 points on Spacedle's rarity scale, which places it in the common tier. Another 2 points would lift it into a rarer tier.
That score comes from 3 science badges — Nebula, Bright deep-sky object and Has a proper name — 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.