Observer's guide
About Skull Nebula
Skull Nebula (C56) is catalogued as a planetary nebula in Cetus. Its J2000 position is RA 00:47:03, Dec -11:52:18, corresponding to 11.7639 degrees RA and -11.8719 degrees Dec. The local catalogue places it about 1,600 light-years away. Its referenced angular extent is approximately 3.73 by 3.73 arcminutes.
Observing tips
StarWatchr rates this as a hard target at magnitude 8. It is associated with autumn observing, with midnight placement typically strongest around September. From 52 degrees north its theoretical meridian altitude is about 26.1 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 -15.7 km/s. The SIMBAD record currently connects it to 492 bibliographic references.
At roughly 3.7 arcminutes across, it benefits from a narrower field and adequate image scale. Use the listed 3.73 by 3.73 arcminute extent to check framing, and treat catalogue magnitude as integrated brightness rather than a direct measure of visual contrast.