Try using binoculars or a wide-field telescope to view this impressive object.
Although images of the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293) show lots of colors, you won’t be able to see those colors through your telescope. But it’s still a great object to observe.
Credit: Bernhard Hubble
- The Helix Nebula (NGC 7293/Caldwell 63) is a planetary nebula located approximately 655 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius, first documented by Carl Ludwig Harding in 1827.
- Despite a unified magnitude near the 7th, its low surface brightness presents an observational challenge with an apparent angular diameter of 25 arcminutes.
- Optimal visual observation is recommended in dark, moonless conditions using binoculars (7-15x magnification with 50 mm aperture), naked eye detection is possible for young observers in exceptionally dark environments.
- Large telescopes (11-inch or larger) can reveal structural details using the nebula filter, including brightness variations within its ring and a central region appearing brighter than the background, although its underlying colors are not visually discernible.
One of your night sky targets for the next month should be the Helix Nebula in the water-bearer constellation Aquarius. Some observers call it the Sunflower Nebula, but you won’t hear that much anymore. and since then lord of the rings The films became popular, earning it the nickname “The Eye of Sauron”. In the catalogue, it is either NGC 7293 or Caldwell 63. It is a planetary nebula about 655 light years away, which is relatively close for that type of object.
I like to think of the Helix as one of the brightest, unseen objects in the sky. Although its total light output reaches about the 7th magnitude, its surface brightness is disappointingly low. For best results, use binoculars that provide 7 to 15 magnification and have front lenses larger than 50 millimeters.
If you’re relatively young and your site is dark – and I mean really dark – try looking at the helix with your naked eye. The helix is a little easier to see with the naked eye if you first find it through binoculars. Fortunately, there are no stars of equivalent brightness in the immediate vicinity of the helix. By the way, my initial comment about youth relates to my and many friends’ experience, where a decade ago we could see the helix with the naked eye, but now that observation has eluded us as our eyes have aged.
Through telescopes 11-inch and larger, and using a nebula filter, you can detect brightness differences within the nebula ring. There are slightly brighter concentrations on the northern and southern sides. Also note that the central ”dark” area appears brighter than the background sky outside the ring. Unfortunately, no scope will allow your eyes to capture clear colors in images.
German astronomer Carl Ludwig Harding publishes an account of his discovery of the Helix Nebula Berliner Jahrbuch In 1827. However, he probably first saw it a few years before that.
You’ll find this great object 1.2° west of the 5th magnitude star Upsilon Aquarius. It spans 25′, which is approximately equal to the diameter of the full Moon.
But don’t try to look at the Helix Nebula if the Moon is bright. Go out when our nearest celestial neighbor is below the horizon. May you be successful!
