Map of the Universe

Helix Nebula

Planetary nebula · Planetary nebula in the constellation Aquarius

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Helix Nebula
Picture: The HST data are from proposal 9700. Processed images may be obtained from the Helix MAST web site. The Hubble Helix Team includes M. Meixner, H.E. Bond, G. Chapman (STScI), Y.-H. Chu (U. Illinois, Ur, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

About the Helix Nebula

The Helix Nebula is about 652 light-years from the Sun, so the light we see from it left about 652 years ago.

It is 26,715 light-years from the centre of the Milky Way.

The map lists it as a planetary nebula and shows it among the stars around the Sun, drawn on the plane of the Milky Way.

Key numbers

Distance652 light-years (200 pc)
Distance from the Galactic centre26,715 light-years
Galactic coordinatesl = 36.20°, b = -57.10°
Sizeabout 6 light-years across

Where it is

Its place in the universe, from the inside out: Orion–Cygnus Arm (Local Arm) › Milky Way › Local Group › Virgo Supercluster › Laniakea Supercluster › Observable universe.

Zoom out to see it in context: 1,000 light-years, a view about 2,400 light-years across.

From Wikipedia

The Helix Nebula is a planetary nebula (PN) located in the constellation Aquarius. Discovered by Karl Ludwig Harding, most likely before 1824, this object is one of the closest to Earth of all the bright planetary nebulae. The distance, measured by the Gaia mission, is 655±13 light-years.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Helix Nebula, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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