Observer's guide
About Cave Nebula
Cave Nebula (C9) is catalogued as an emission nebula in Cepheus. Its J2000 position is RA 22:56:42, Dec +62:37:00, corresponding to 344.2746 degrees RA and 62.6359 degrees Dec. The local catalogue places it about 2,800 light-years away. Its referenced angular extent is approximately 5.25 by 3.6 arcminutes.
Observing tips
StarWatchr rates this as a hard target at magnitude 10. It is associated with summer observing, with midnight placement typically strongest around August. From 52 degrees north its theoretical meridian altitude is about 79.4 degrees; local horizons and the live altitude chart determine the practical window.
Because it is faint, use a larger aperture where possible, avoid bright Moon conditions, and use averted vision.
What to expect
The SIMBAD classification for the matched source is HII. The SIMBAD record currently connects it to 103 bibliographic references.
At roughly 5.3 arcminutes across, it benefits from a narrower field and adequate image scale. Use the listed 5.25 by 3.6 arcminute extent to check framing, and treat catalogue magnitude as integrated brightness rather than a direct measure of visual contrast.
