M57

M57

Planetary Nebula
NGC 6720
Lyra
18H 53.6m +33° 02'

Magnitude: 8.8
Size: 1.4' × 1.0'
Distance: 1,140 light-years

M57

Suitable for beginners

Skill Level
M57 is one of the brightest and most famous planetary nebulae. Even short exposures will reveal its ring-like nature.

AugustBest Month
Look for M57 in Summer, when Lyra is high in the sky for Northern Hemisphere observers.

Newtonians
SCTs

Recommended Equipment
M57, like nearly all planetary nebulae, requires a good deal of magnification. A long focal-length telescope such as an SCT is ideal for it.

You can also capture M57 with a rich-field Newtonian, although you will sacrifice some detail.

Image

Image Stats
Meade 8" SN LXD75
Meade DSI Pro III
Meade RGB + IR filters

RGB at 66:148:62 minutes respectively. 2-minute subs.

Average transparency
10 July 2009
San Mateo, CA