About Skull Nebula (C56)

Skull Nebula stands out as a well-known observing object and shows up as a faint patch of light. It has moderate brightness.

Current visibility

It is currently below the horizon.

It stays above 30° for roughly 8 hours.

Nebulae benefit from filters, contrast improves away from light pollution.

Observing tips

It requires patience and good conditions.

What to expect

In small telescopes it remains mostly unresolved.

It is less prominent than the brightest objects in the catalog.

Type

Planetary Nebula

Constellation

Cetus

Distance

1600 ly

Size

Season

Autumn

Difficulty

Hard

Magnitude

8