List of protoplanetary nebulae

This is a list of protoplanetary nebulae . These objects represent the final stage before a planetary nebula. During this stage, the red giant star begins to slowly expel its outermost layers of material. A protoplanetary nebula usually glows by reflecting the light from its parent star. This stage is usually brief, typically lasting no more than a few thousand years.

List

Image	Name	Other designation	Date discovered	Distance (ly)
	Boomerang Nebula	Centaurus Bipolar Nebula	1980	5,000
	Calabash Nebula	OH231.8+4.2	1786	4,200
	Egg Nebula	CRL 2688	1996	3,000
	Frosty Leo Nebula	IRAS 09371+1212	1976	3,000
	Red Rectangle Nebula	HD 44179	1973	2,300 ± 300
	Cotton Candy Nebula	IRAS 17150-3224
	Water Lily Nebula	IRAS 16594-4656	1977 [1]
		IRAS 22036+5306		6,500
	Westbrook Nebula	IRAS 04395+3601	1975 [2]	3,600 ± 700
		IRAS 13208-6020
		IRAS 20068+4051
	LL Pegasi	IRAS 23166+1655	1975 [2]	4,000
	M1-92	IRAS 19343+2926	1946 [3]	8,000
		IRAS 19024+0044		11,000
		IRAS 19475+3119		15,000
		IRAS 23304+6147	1988 [4]	15,000
	Roberts 22 (MR 22)	AFGL 4104	1962 [5]	6,500 [6]

References

1. Stephenson, C. B.; Sanduleak, N. (April 1977). "New H-alpha emission stars in the Milky Way". Astrophysical Journal, Suppl. Ser. 33: 459–469. Bibcode:1977ApJS...33..459S. doi:10.1086/190437 . Retrieved March 19, 2025.
2. Walker, R. G. (July 1975). "AFCRL infrared sky survey. Volume 1: Catalog of observations at 4, 11, and 20 microns" (PDF). Environmental Research Papers Air Force Cambridge Research Labs., Hanscom AFB, MA.: 1–158. Bibcode:1975erp..rept.....W . Retrieved March 18, 2025.
3. Minkowski, R. (October 1946). "New Emission Nebulae". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 58 (344): 305–309. Bibcode:1946PASP...58..305M. doi:10.1086/125855 . Retrieved March 18, 2025.
4. Preite-Martinez, A. (December 1988). "Possible new planetary nebulae in the IRAS point sourcecatalogue". Astronomy and Astrophysics, Suppl. Ser. 76: 317–330. Bibcode:1988A&AS...76..317P . Retrieved March 18, 2025.
5. Roberts, M. S. (February 1962). "The galactic distribution of the Wolf-Rayet stars". Astronomical Journal. 67: 79–85. Bibcode:1962AJ.....67...79R. doi:10.1086/108603 . Retrieved March 17, 2025.
6. Allen, D. A.; Hyland, A. R.; Caswell, J. L. (August 1980). "Roberts 22 : a bipolar nebula with OH emission". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 192 (3): 505–519. Bibcode:1980MNRAS.192..505A. doi: 10.1093/mnras/192.3.505 . Retrieved March 17, 2025.

See also

• Lists of astronomical objects