List of planetary nebulae

Planetary nebulae are a type of emission nebula created from the ejected gas of dying red giant stars. ^[1]

The following is an incomplete list of known planetary nebulae.

Image	Name	Messier Catalogue [a]	NGC [a]	Other designation [a]	Date discovered [a]	Distance (kly) [a] [b]	Apparent magnitude (visual) [a]	Constellation [a]
	Glowing Eye Nebula or Dandelion Puffball Nebula		NGC 6751		1863	6.5	11.9	Aquila
	Turtle Nebula		NGC 6210		1825	4.7	9.3	Hercules
	Bow-Tie Nebula		NGC 40	Caldwell 2	1788	3.5	11.4	Cepheus
	Ghost of Jupiter		NGC 3242		1785	4.8	8.6	Hydra
	Blinking Planetary		NGC 6826	Caldwell 15		2.0	8.8	Cygnus
	Dumbbell Nebula	M27	NGC 6853		1764	1.36 +0.16 −0.21	7.5	Vulpecula
	Ring Nebula	M57	NGC 6720		1779	2.3 +1.5 −0.7	9	Lyra
	Eskimo Nebula or Clown Face Nebula		NGC 2392		1787	2.9 (approx.)	10.1	Gemini
	Cat's Eye Nebula		NGC 6543		1786	3.3 ± 0.9	9.8B	Draco
	Little Ghost Nebula		NGC 6369		1800 (prior to)	2 ± 3	9.9	Ophiuchus
	Medusa Nebula			Abell 21	1955	1.0 (approx.)	15.99	Gemini
	Jewel Bug Nebula		NGC 7027		1878	3.0 (approx.)	10	Cygnus
	Helix Nebula		NGC 7293		1824	0.68 +0.15 −0.08	7.6	Aquarius
	Little Dumbbell Nebula	M76	NGC 650, NGC 651		1780	3.4 (approx.)	10.1	Perseus
	Owl Nebula	M97	NGC 3587		1781	2.6 (approx.)	9.9	Ursa Major
	Twin Jet Nebula or Butterfly Nebula			M2-9	1947	2.1	14.7	Ophiuchus
			NGC 7026		1873	5.6	10.0	Cygnus
	Butterfly Nebula		NGC 2346		1802	3.9 (approx.)	11.9	Monoceros
				Abell 39	1955	6.8 (approx.)	13.7	Hercules
	Jones-Emberson 1 / Headphone Nebula			PK 164+31.1	1939	1.6 (approx.)	14.0	Lynx
	Lemon Slice Nebula			IC 3568	1918	4.5 (approx.)	12	Camelopardalis
	Soap Bubble Nebula			PN G75.5 1.7	2008	4 (approx.)		Cygnus
				IC 289	1888	5.2 (approx.)	13.2	Cassiopeia
				IC 2149	1906	3.6	10.6	Auriga
				IC 4593	1907	12	10.84	Hercules
				IC 4997		8	11	Sagitta
	Skull Nebula		NGC 246		1785	1.6	8	Cetus
			NGC 6058		1787	11.41	13	Hercules
	Oyster Nebula		NGC 1501		1787	4.2	13	Camelopardalis
			NGC 1514		1790	2.2	9.4	Taurus
			NGC 7048	PK 088-01.1	1878	5.2 (approx.)	12.1	Cygnus
			NGC 2022		1785	7 (approx.)	12.8	Orion
			NGC 2371		1785	4.3	13	Gemini
	Blue Racquetball / Turquoise Orb		NGC 6572		1825	2.5	8.1	Ophiuchus
			NGC 6781		1788	2.5	11.4	Aquila
			NGC 6790		1882	11	10.5	Aquila
			NGC 6881		1881	5.2 ± 1.6	13.8	Cygnus
			NGC 6884		1883	6.5	10.9	Cygnus
			NGC 6891		1884	7.2	10.5	Delphinus
			NGC 6886		1884	15.0 + 3.3	11.8	Sagitta
			NGC 6742	Abell 50	1788	16.7	16.5	Draco
			NGC 6894	PK 069-02.1	1784	4.2	12.3	Cygnus
	Blue Flash Nebula		NGC 6905		1784	7.5 (approx.)	10.9	Delphinus
			NGC 6804		1791	12.5 (approx.)	11.2	Aquila
	Fetus Nebula		NGC 7008		1787	2.7	12	Cygnus
			NGC 7354		1787	5.5	12.9	Cepheus
	Blue Snowball Nebula		NGC 7662		1784	5.9	8.6	Andromeda
			NGC 6803		1882	12.5	11.1	Aquila
				Abell 78	1966	5	13	Cygnus
				Abell 31	1955	2	12.2	Cancer
	Soccer Ball Nebula			Kronberger 61	2011	13	18.4	Cygnus
				IC 1454	1891	13.7 (approx.)	14	Cepheus
				Abell 12		6.9	14	Orion
				Hen 2-47		6.6	10.21	Carina
			NGC 5844		1837	9.45	12.7	Triangulum Australe
	Southern Crab Nebula			Hen 2-104	1967	7	14.20	Centaurus
			NGC 5979		1835	13 (approx.)	12.10	Triangulum Australe
	Red Spider Nebula		NGC 6537		1888 (prior to)	3.9 (approx.)	11.9	Sagittarius
			NGC 6565			14	14	Sagittarius
	Bug Nebula or Butterfly Nebula		NGC 6302	Caldwell 69	1888 (prior to)	3.4 ± 0.5	7.1B	Scorpius
	Saturn Nebula		NGC 7009		1782	3.0 (approx.)	8.0	Aquarius
	Eight-burst Nebula or Southern Ring Nebula		NGC 3132		1888 (prior to)	2.6 (approx.)	9.87	Vela
			NGC 2438		1786	2.9 (approx.)	11.5	Puppis
			NGC 2440		1790	3.6 (approx.)	9.3	Puppis
	Spirograph Nebula			IC 418	1888–1894	1.3 (approx.)	9.6	Lepus
				IC 1295	1867	4.7 (approx.)	12.7	Scutum
				IC 2448	1898	11 (approx.)	11.10	Carina
				IC 4663	1901	11 (approx.)		Scorpius
	Spare Tyre Nebula			IC 5148	1894	3 (approx.)	16.5	Grus
	Retina Nebula			IC 4406	1888–1907	2.0 (approx.)	10.9	Lupus
	Stingray Nebula			Hen 3-1357	1989	18 (approx.)	10.75	Ara
	Spiral Planetary Nebula		NGC 5189		1835	2.6 (approx.)	9.5	Musca
				Mz 1	1922	3.4 ± 0.5	12.0	Norma
	Ant Nebula			Mz 3	1922	8.0 (approx.)	13.8	Norma
	Shapley 1			PLN 329+2.1	1936	4.9	12.6	Norma
	Engraved Hourglass Nebula			MyCn 18	1996	8.0 (approx.)	13.0	Musca
			NGC 3918	Blue Planetary	1834	4.9	8.5	Centaurus
			NGC 6578		1882	5.5 (approx.)	13.5	Sagittarius
	Fleming 1			G290.5+07.9 ESO 170-6	1888?	7.9	13.1	Centaurus
	Southern Owl Nebula			PN K 1-22 ESO 378-1	1971 [2]	4.3 [3]	17.4 [4]	Hydra
				IC 4191	1907	6.85	11.6	Musca
				IC 4634	1893	7.5	11.3	Ophiuchus
				IC 4637	1901	7.8	12.5	Scorpius
	Robin's Egg Nebula		NGC 1360		1868	1.5 (approx.)	9.4	Fornax
	Cleopatra's Eye		NGC 1535		1785	6.5 (approx.)	10.5	Eridanus
			NGC 2452		1847	15	12.20	Puppis
			NGC 2899		1835	6.5	11.8	Vela
			NGC 2792		1835	10 ± 2	11.6	Vela
			NGC 2818		1826	10.4	12.50	Pyxis
			NGC 2867		1834	7.3	10	Carina
			NGC 3211		1837	10.76	11.5	Carina
			NGC 3195		1835	5.5 (approx.)	11.6	Chamaeleon
			NGC 4361		1785	3 (approx.)	10.9	Corvus
			NGC 5307		1836	10	11.2	Centaurus
			NGC 5315		1883	7 (approx.)	9.8	Circinus
			NGC 5882		1834	7.7	9.4	Lupus
			NGC 6072		1837	3.1	14	Scorpius
				M2-42	1947	30.8	13.9	Sagittarius
			NGC 7094		1884	3.5	13.5	Pegasus
				M4-18	1959	17.1	14	Camelopardalis
				Abell 48	1955	14.9	17	Aquila
			NGC 6153		1883	4.4	10.9	Scorpius
	Box Nebula		NGC 6309		1876	6.5	11.5	Ophiuchus
			NGC 6326		1826	11	12.2	Ara
			NGC 6563		1826	5.37 ± 0.06	11	Sagittarius
			NGC 6629		1784	13.4	11.3	Sagittarius
	Phantom Streak Nebula		NGC 6741		1882	7	11	Aquila
	Little Gem Nebula		NGC 6818		1787	6	9.3	Sagittarius
				Abell 36	1955	0.78	12.2 ± 2.1	Virgo
				Abell 70	1966	7.8–16 [5]		Aquila
	Box Nebula		NGC 6445		1786	4.5	11.2	Sagittarius
	Eye of Sauron Nebula			M 1-42		10	14	Sagittarius
				Ka LMC 1		~18		Dorado

1. Table entries are sourced from the individual articles, where available, for each nebula. Please see the linked article on the nebula for references.
2. Many distances are estimates (denoted by the approx. suffix), as true distances are difficult to infer for planetary nebulae. Please see main article, Planetary nebulae, for more details on distance estimates.

See also

• Lists of astronomical objects
• Lists of planets

References

1. [e-mail]. "Planetary Nebula". esahubble.org. Retrieved 2025-08-04.
2. Kohoutek, L. (1971). "New planetary nebula". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 13: 493. Bibcode:1971A&A....13..493K.
3. Jacob, R.; Schönberner, D.; Steffen, M. (2013). "The evolution of planetary nebulae". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 558: A78. arXiv: 1307.6189 . Bibcode:2013A&A...558A..78J. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201321532. ISSN   0004-6361.
4. Phillips, J. P. (2005). "The distances of highly evolved planetary nebulae". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 357 (2): 619–625. Bibcode:2005MNRAS.357..619P. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.08676.x . ISSN   0035-8711.
5. Miszalski, B.; Boffin, H. M. J.; Frew, D. J.; Acker, A.; Köppen, J.; Moffat, A. F. J.; Parker, Q. A. (2012). "A barium central star binary in the Type I diamond ring planetary nebula Abell 70". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 419 (1): 39–49. arXiv: 1108.3957 . Bibcode:2012MNRAS.419...39M. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.19667.x .