Planetary Nebula · Draco

C6 Cat's Eye Nebula

Magnitude
8.1
Season
Spring
Difficulty
Hard
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Imaging reference
Cat's Eye Nebula (C6) Planetary Nebula

Observer's guide

About Cat's Eye Nebula

Cat's Eye Nebula (C6) is catalogued as a planetary nebula in Draco. Its J2000 position is RA 17:58:34, Dec +66:38:00, corresponding to 269.6392 degrees RA and 66.633 degrees Dec. The local catalogue places it about 3,000 light-years away. Its referenced angular extent is approximately 0.62 by 0.54 arcminutes.

Observing tips

StarWatchr rates this as a hard target at magnitude 8.1. It is associated with spring observing, with midnight placement typically strongest around June. From 52 degrees north its theoretical meridian altitude is about 75.4 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 -65.7 km/s. The SIMBAD record currently connects it to 1202 bibliographic references.

At roughly 0.6 arcminutes across, it benefits from a narrower field and adequate image scale. Use the listed 0.62 by 0.54 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 C6 are kept separate from practical observing guidance.

Coordinates (J2000/ICRS)
RA 269.639183° · Dec 66.632986°
SIMBAD classification
PN
Spectral type
[WC]
Angular extent
0.62′ × 0.54′
Position angle
10°
Surface brightness
15.54 mag/arcsec²
Radial velocity
-65.7 km/s
Redshift
-0.00021913
Linked bibliography
1,202 references
Best midnight placement
June
Observable latitude range
-23.4° 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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