Emission nebula | |
---|---|
Planetary nebula | |
Observation data: J2000 epoch | |
Right ascension | 07h 41m 54.91s[1] |
Declination | −18° 12′ 29.7″[1] |
Distance | 4.00 kly (1.23 kpc)[2] ly |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 9.4[3] |
Apparent dimensions (V) | 74" × 42"[3] |
Constellation | Puppis |
Physical characteristics | |
Radius | 0.72 ly |
Designations | ESO 560-PN9, Bow Nebula |
NGC 2440 is a planetary nebula, one of many in our galaxy. Its central star, HD 62166,[1] is possibly the hottest known white dwarf, about 400,000°F(200,000°C). The nebula is situated in the constellation Puppis.
It was discovered by William Herschel on March 4, 1790. He described it as "a beautiful planetary nebula of a considerable degree of brightness, not very well defined."[3] The nebula is located about 1.23 kiloparsecs (3.79×1019 m) or about 4,000 light years from the Sun.[2]