Planetary Nebula · Cygnus

C15 Blinking Planetary Nebula

Magnitude
8.8
Season
Summer
Difficulty
Very Hard
Star-hop chart
C150.0° field0° rotation
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Imaging reference
Blinking Planetary Nebula (C15) Planetary Nebula

Observer's guide

About Blinking Planetary Nebula

Blinking Planetary Nebula (C15) is catalogued as a planetary nebula in Cygnus. Its J2000 position is RA 19:44:48, Dec +50:31:30, corresponding to 296.2006 degrees RA and 50.5251 degrees Dec. The local catalogue places it about 2,200 light-years away. Its referenced angular extent is approximately 0.66 by 0.58 arcminutes.

Observing tips

StarWatchr rates this as a very hard target at magnitude 8.8. It is associated with summer observing, with midnight placement typically strongest around July. From 52 degrees north its theoretical meridian altitude is about 88.5 degrees; local horizons and the live altitude chart determine the practical window.

A small telescope under reasonably dark skies is a good starting point; use the live altitude chart to choose its highest point.

What to expect

The SIMBAD classification for the matched source is PN. A published radial velocity value is -6.2 km/s. The SIMBAD record currently connects it to 740 bibliographic references.

At roughly 0.7 arcminutes across, it benefits from a narrower field and adequate image scale. Use the listed 0.66 by 0.58 arcminute extent to check framing, and treat catalogue magnitude as integrated brightness rather than a direct measure of visual contrast.

Sourced catalogue data

Scientific record

Measurements for C15 are kept separate from practical observing guidance.

Coordinates (J2000/ICRS)
RA 296.200625° · Dec 50.525069°
SIMBAD classification
PN
Spectral type
O3f(H)
Angular extent
0.66′ × 0.58′
Position angle
90°
Surface brightness
16.39 mag/arcsec²
Radial velocity
-6.2 km/s
Redshift
-0.00002068
Linked bibliography
740 references
Best midnight placement
July
Observable latitude range
-39.5° to 90°

Source: SIMBAD astronomical database (CDS, Strasbourg) (ODbL; checked 2026-08-09). Catalogue values may change when new measurements are published.

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24-hour altitude profile

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